Those that Come in Through the Window
by Missy-loves-Waffles
Summary: **Back from Hiatus** Chloe has a strange conversation with Bastet while she's dying. Could he really be her perfect mate? CHALEK! **Being Slowly Revised**
1. Chapter 1

Those That Come in Through the Window

Chapter One:

How do you describe dying? Well, to me, it always felt like I was falling through syrup. Slowly sinking into darkness, into a never ending pit. It's happened once before. That time when Scarface pushed me off of the tower. I remember the rushing of the wind, a jolting of pure pain. I could have sworn at that moment, that all the bones in my body were broken, including those tiny ones in your ears that everyone always forgets about. Then sinking. The pavement seemed to wrap itself around my consciousness, dulling my senses. And the pain. For that much, I was grateful.

But here I am again. Falling. This time into a now-bloodstained carpet. And the worst part? Brian is on top of me, his dead weight seeming to keep me from dropping fully into the darkness. Brian, who I am pretty sure I just killed. A single tear falls down my cheek, blurring my already fading vision.

The darkness seems stronger by the second, and Bastet is calling. She sounds slightly irritated. The soft, black hands of death cover my resisting eyes, and, once again, I am at the home of my Mother Goddess, the creator of our race, Bastet.

She looks at me, her eyes showing great love tinged with slight disapproval.

"You are getting blood on the floor." I look down and realize that my sluggishly bleeding bullet holes are indeed making a bit of a mess. Frantically, I glance around for a bandage. Not finding one, I start to move towards ripping my shirt. Bastet rolls her eyes and snaps. The wounds stop bleeding and the edges pull together. Tiny stitches appear in golden thread. There are three metallic flatters as the bullets drop to the floor. I look up in wonder.

"It's the least I could do for my Chosen. But mind you, I don't want to have to do that again." I continue to stare at her. She sighs. "Enough. We need to talk about your love life, young one, before you go back to the world of the living. I give you your perfect mate, and you go on and chose a human? Someone who you very well know you can't be with? Can't have a relationship with? _Can't even kiss?_" Tears start to flow as, once again, I realize that Brian is dead. Because of me. Me and my cursed ancestry. Bastet continues to rant for some time, not seeming to notice that I am no longer listening.

"My dear, whatever is the matter?" She looks vaguely concerned. Suddenly she scowls. "This is about that Brian boy isn't it. I'm sorry dear. He's dead." I start crying harder. I had killed him. I knew it. I had been right all along. "You didn't kill him, you know that right? It's a special reaction from a poison they give all Order members. If they kiss anyone, even a human, who is not treated with the same poison, they die. It's a way to keep members from eloping randomly. If a member wants to date a non-Order, there are temporary precautions they can use. They just have to go through their leader first." As her words slowly sink in, I start to feel better. Maybe I wasn't _entirely_ at fault...

Suddenly, realization hits me. She had said 'Perfect _mate_'. What was that about? _Who_ was that about?

"Wait. You said perfect mate." She smiles at me. Her eyes look almost mischievous in the soft light that filters in.

"You'll just have to find out, won't you?"

"What? You won't tell me?"

"I hope not to see you here for a while, Chloe. Goodbye." I feel myself start to fall again as her smiling face fades. It's funny how you're always falling, but never rising...

**A/N: So hello! This is my first Fanfic ever. I'm a really bad writer, but my English teacher says I'm a brilliant editor and reviser, so maybe this will work out too. Eventually. Sorry it's so very short…**

**If you haven't guessed, I'm a die-hard Team Alek fan. You know, 'Perfect Mate' and all...**

**I was really upset when they canceled the show. I had watched them all on Netflix after I missed the original showings. During the finale I found that I couldn't stop yelling at the television (-.-'')...**

**Anyway, I'm not going to set a quota for any of my chapters. That's just wrong. I also promise that if I ever do abandon a story, very unlikely, but possible, I will tell you, not just leave it hanging. No promises on updating everyday though. I'm lying on my bed typing on my phone at 12:21 pm. I probably won't be doing this every night.**

**So please Review if you have the time. It might take you maybe thirty seconds.**

**Now Alek, tell the good people goodnight.**

**Alek: Goodnight! Missy wants you to be a good child and always drink your milk and eat your vegetables. And ~scowls~ always go to school. Anything else?**

**Me: ~In heaven~ No, no... You're wonderful. Beautiful. Perfect.**

**Chloe: Back off lady, He's mine.**

**Me: Oh yeah? ~grabs pillow~ I'll probably be back tomorrow. I'm going to go kill Chloe. Kk bai!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok so you guys that reviewed made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I tried really hard to resist, but here I am again, late at night, typing I'll try and publish in the morning, maybe even a second chapter if this feeling keeps up.**

**I forgot to put the disclaimer on the first chapter, so here, I'll let Chloe do it, just to show you I didn't kill her.**

**Disclaimer: Chloe: SHE doesn't own NLOCK, even though she wishes she did. If she did, Brian would have fallen off a cliff, burning and screaming bloody murder a long, long time ago. She just likes to play around and throw me and Alek together.**

**Alek: I don't know, I sorta like it...**

**Chloe: **_**ALEK!**_** ~Snatches pillow~**

**Me: While they ruin more of my pretty pillows, let's move on.**

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Chapter Two:

When I open my eyes once again, I see Amy running towards me.

"Chloe, _Chloe_!" (A/N: I really don't quite remember what happened/ was said at this point, so I'll add lib a bit.) she yells. With my enhanced night vision, I watch as her eyes frantically search the theatre. When they alight on me, she gasps.

"CHLOE! We heard gunshots, are you okay?" She freezes as she finds Brian's lifeless body. Her unasked question shows in her eyes.

"Dead." I mutter. "Dead." My voice sounds lifeless and flat, almost as if I was a robot, just waiting for an order.

"Chloe...I'm so sorry Chloe!" I shake my head and make to get up, but find that Brian's wait is restricting all movement.

"A little help?" Paul instantly kneels down and helps me move the slightly warm body off of me. Gross. Amy gasps as she sees the three holes in my shirt and the sewn-up holes in my side.

"Chloe, did you die again?" I nod and finally get up, wincing as the skin around my wounds stretched taught and twisted.

"Where's Alek? Jasmine? Aren't they supposed to be watching you?" I shrug, then ponder. A sudden thought makes my blood chill.

Something must have happened. Something bad. Whatever had happened must have been _very bad indeed_ to keep Alek away from me. He could be _so_ protective at times...

"The penthouse. Amy, you have your car, right?" She nods. "Good. You know where to go. Come on. Quickly!" We all rush to the car, our minds and bodies in different stages of panic. Amy floors the accelerator almost as soon as she sits down and buckles in, barely waiting long enough for the door to click close.

We rush down streets, barely paying attention to any speed limits or laws. If any police had been near, we would've been stopped.

When we reach the building that the penthouse was in, I jump out of the car, not bothering to wait for it to stop, and start running up the stairs, correctly thinking that it would be faster than the elevator.

I burst through the door, not bothering to open it like a normally. Inside, I see Alek fighting with...Zane? But wasn't Zane good? He was Jasmine's... Jasmine! I look around frantically, searching for her. My eyes briefly meet hers before a cry from Alek brought me back.

"Alek!" I pull back and punch Zane squarely in the face, not bothering to wonder why or how this was happening. Alek has a long cut on his cheek, bleeding slowly but surely as he dances his deadly dance with Zane.

I watch, awed, as he performs the perfect punch-back handspring-roundhouse kick combination that, no matter how hard I try, can never manage to do.

"Chloe! Jasmine and Valentina! I'll take care of this Bastard." The bastard in jeopardy smirks and tries to punch Alek, only to be blocked with an almost second nature move on Alek's part.

Alek's three short sentences finally register on my panicking mind and I drop to Jasmine's side.

"Jasmine. _Jasmine_! Please tell me you're still with me!" I tear off my shirt, leaving me only in a white undershirt. I quickly ball it up and apply pressure to the wound on her stomach. She takes a rattling breath.

"Kitchen...Second drawer...Sew kit...antidote...hurry...moth-" She is cut off by a choking sound deep in her chest and small flecks of blood fly out of her mouth. I hurriedly wipe them away with my hand. Pounding footsteps in the hall tell me that Amy and Paul are close. I tear a strip from the bottom of my undershirt and tie the already-bloodstained pad firmly down.

"Stay with me, Jas. Please stay with me!" I plead. Jas' eyes clench shut.

"Amy! Amy, Paul, _someone_! Please hurry!" I screamed.

"I'm right here Chloe. What can I do?" Amy says, the shake in her voice betraying her losing battle to be calm.

"Hold down this. I need to get the med kit. Paul?"

"Right here."

"Check on Valentina, won't you?" I rise, Amy's small hands taking my bloody ones' place on the wadded shirt.

"Already on it." I rush into the kitchen and quickly find the med kit in the drawer. Opening it, I find every medical item you could probably ever need jammed inside. I quickly snatch up a bottle of something called 'The Common Antidote' with a small warning underneath that read 'Mai only. Please see doctor as soon as possible after use.' I quickly threw it to Paul, knowing it was Valentina, not Jasmine that needed it right now.

Turning back to the box of medical wonders, I quickly locate a deep wounds kit and pulled it out. Suddenly, I hear glass shatter, and something cold and sharp implanted itself in the back of my head, causing a wet sticky substance to start flowing down my neck. Blood. I heard a masculine scream then a faint thump and realized what the glass must have been from, Silently cheering, I turned back to Jasmine.

During my frantic searching, Jasmine has grown worse. Her skin is paling by the second and her eyes are clenched close. Her teeth grind against each other and one small tear hovers in the corner of her eye.

"No..." I whisper. I will not lose another friend tonight.

I will not. 

**OoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**A/N: Should I let Jasmine go? She was a little bit of a fun suck...**

**Alek: No! Don't let Jas die! I will get another pillow if you do!**

**Me: Oh no! A pillow! ~tears up~ Don't hit me with the pillow! Please don't hit me with it! Jasmine will have a chance! I promise!**

**Chloe: A chance? Hit her with the pillow, Alek.**

**Me: ~running away~ Shenanigans! This was a bit longer, hope you enjoyed! Please review! Kk BAI!**

**Alek: ~Chasing~ I'm coming for you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Gosh, this warm feeling is so nice. You lucky buggers, I'm actually updating again. I can't believe you people reviewed thrice in like half an hour. I like that word. 'Thrice'. Anyway, because you all begged, Jasmine will live for a while yet. But no, I won't kill Valentina instead.**

**, your review made me smile all day. Really, seriously. I do like this plot line, even if I don't really know how this will develop very far...**

**If you were worried, Alek didn't kill me with the pillow. You probably weren't.**

**Disclaimer: Alek: Missy doesn't own NLOCK, nor does she own me, Chloe, Jasmine, Amy, and all those other people who you already know about that were in the shows. She does, however, own Marci and Sandri. She and I agree that Me and Chloe belong together.**

**Chloe: Come 'er, you bastard ~aims pillow~**

**Me: On with the show... Or story...or...? On!**

OoOoOoOoOoO

Chapter Three

Jasmine survived. Not by much, but she was still with us by the time morning came around. Valentina came 'round almost immediately after taking the Antidote and told Paul who to call, so soon we had a young Mai girl called Marci in the penthouse, along with her silent protector Sandri.

Apparently, Marci was a highly trained doctor from a special whodoliuptious-school-that-was-who-knows-where**.(A/N: whodoliuptious is a word of my creation. It doesn't really have a certain meeting, but you sorta get the gist from the context...)** But anyway, she was a doctor, and a much welcomed one too.

Compared to Jasmine's condition, we all were relatively fine. Alek had a deep cut in his leg and a long but shallow cut on his face. The piece of glass embedded in my head proved to be troublesome as we all forgot about it until I fell down, unconscious. Guess I should have remembered that.

Three hours ago, Marci had disappeared into Jasmine's room. We all had been quite and holding our breath ever since. She came out just a few seconds ago, nodding.

As the morning sun rises and we all take a breath, I look over to Alek, who has been sitting alone in the corner. His face looks haunted and pained, like he is at war with himself or has discovered some awful truth. While I watch, he clenched his eyes and winces. I get up off of the coach and softly walk over to the suffering Mai.

"Alek?" I whisper, my tone soft and comforting. "Are you all right?"

"Chloe..." He croaks. His lips barely move. "Chloe..." He fingers the bandage wrapped around my head that was holding a pad to the cut from the shattered window glass.

"Yes it's me." My hand automatically goes to his face and then down to below his chin. I lightly use the pads of my fingers to lift his drooping head up.

"Alek, what's wrong?" His eyes bore into mine, their empty and tortured look making me shudder. He looks down and finds the barely visible pink lines where the bullets had entered. The rest had healed and the small stitches had disappeared. His fingers lightly trace the three half-moon ridges.

"Chloe...Chloe did you die again?"

"Don't worry about it. Why do you look so down?"

"Don't worry about you? Don't worry about _me_! I was supposed to protect you. And I wasn't there for you and you died!" He looks even more hurt than before. The light that I so loved entirely missing in his rich brown orbs that pulled me in and threatened to keep me every time...

I shook my head, both at my nonsense and his outcry. "Alek... You aren't at fault. I'm almost glad you weren't there. If you had you might have died. I don't know what I would do if-" I am cut off suddenly as warm lips met mine.

Alek is kissing me and I am intoxicated. All thoughts of him dying or leaving me fled. We break, I wanting more. Will he kiss me again? Or should I do it myself? I think back to the feeling that had stirred inside of me during our short kiss.

Oh well, to heck with it. Moralities can wait

I lean forward and again our hearts and minds meet as our lips do. Somehow as I am kissing him, I feel complete and wonderful inside. My wounds no longer pain me, the stress about Jas goes away… Nothing else seems to matter. Nothing but us.

_Is this what Bastet meant by 'Perfect Mate?'_

OoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N: A bit dramatic, I guess. If you think so, blame it on A bit shorter too, I think. Sorry... Just be happy you got three in two days.**

**Romance has ensued, but I am faced with a bit of a dilemma... I originally was going to have Chloe deny it for a bit, but now I'm leaning towards having them come together, then have a big fight or something... So vote? Short, but with fights, Long low but sweet or a bit of both?**

**Alek: I'm all for instant gratification, but hold the fights.**

**Chloe and Me: ~roll eyes~ Boys...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: School has started again, now that break is over. Updates will be a bit farther apart, maybe every other day at this point. I've typed part of this during P.E., written more in English and Now finishing it up in math. Don't worry about my grades though. This 'math' class, I don't take. I'm in honors in the morning. So I treat this like a free period. Lucky You!**

**Mysterygirl97, your advise really hit me. I think I almost know what will happen. This chapter's for you, because you made me smile. A hard feat because one of the baby chicks that we are raising is dying. Poor Honey.**

**I don't really like switching perspective on you, but i didn't really know how to expand on it...**

**I'll do the disclaimer myself today, considering Alek and Chloe have done it every other time...**

**Disclaimer: NLOCK is not under my possession. If it was in the shows it's not mine. This plot, however, is along with the OC's like Marci and Sandri. The girl at the end is not an OC though. You figure out who she is yourself.**

**Oh and sorry if there is any OOC-ness...I didn't really nit pick it...**

**Onwards! A surprise in here, lets see of you like it.**

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Chapter Four:

Eventually, everyone has to breathe, even the Mai. When Alek and I finally break our lips' embrace, we gasp.

"Well, _(pant)_ that _(pant)_ was _(pant)_ amazing..." I say, dully, staring into Alek's wonderfully entrapping eyes.

"Want to see if it is the second time?" He asks and I smile. My dancing eyes give him all the answer he needs. We lean forward until our lips are barely two centimeters apart.

"Love you," I whisper. There. I admit it. I love Alek.

"I know. Love you more." He whispers back. His usually cocky attitude is hidden, his soft side showing.

"I doubt it."

"Let me prove it to you?" Our eyes meet and I feel a rush of something I've only ever felt near him. He starts leaning closer, and i prepare to accept his beautiful lips with the present of my own.

"Ehem." Valentina's disapproving interruption startles us into jumping up into a defensive position. As one we look at her. her eyes have a new light in them, a light I've only seen only before. The day she found out I was the Uniter.

It was hope.

"I think we are going have to discuss some things with you two after this mess cleanse up. It seems the prophecies are moving along faster than we thought they would."

Prophecies? Besides the one about me being the Uniter? About me and Alek? Alek and I exchange confused glances, both of us trying to figure out what was happening.

"Now, help me clean up, you two." I groan and Alek smirks, his normal attitude up and running. We start to slowly shuffle around, picking up shards of glass and pottery.

"What exactly happened?" I ask. They softly explain. Even with their fast paced words, it takes a while.

"Oh." I am pale. Frightened. I look over to Alek for support, but find that his eyes weren't here. His face looks tortured and shocked.

**APOV**

I killed my brother. My twin. I killed the person I had grown up with before my parents had died, missed when I was in London, and have both loved and hated for the past two or so years. Sure, he was evil. Sure, he had murdered my best friend all those years ago. But, he was my brother. We used to play tag. Of the little I remember before that awful day, that is a large portion of it-playing with other children.

We had never looked alike, strengthening the bond between us. We were friends when not brothers, but brothers when not friends. We went through everything together.

I am almost glad he was not forced to watch our parents die. Almost, but not quite.

When the slaughter happened, Zane wasn't there. He was in an intelligence testing center two towns over, because he was a very smart little boy. I had been tested the day before.

They came through while he was away, wiping everything out, burning all our homes to the ground. I, at the time, was hidden in an underground safe house.

My parents had thrust me in there when the attack started, locking the door behind me. We had had drills before so I had known where the secret window was. I really wish I hadn't remembered.

****YEARS AGO** Still Alek**

**(A/N: So this is a bit confusing, so I'll explain. One of Alek's earliest memories is watching his parents die. He cant remember what he was thinking or really who else was there. They died when he was three maybe?[I really have no idea, but I think it pretty much works out] This, however, is not a flashback or memory that is slightly fuzzy as he thinks about it. No, this is what happened then as it happened. That does make sense, doesn't it?)**

_They said they would be right back._

They said that they loved me, that they would be back in a minute. Then they locked the door. But the door could only be opened from the inside while locked. They should have remembered that.

"I will just have to watch for them through the window." I say to myself, putting on my brave voice. I am a big boy, Daddy had said so.

The hidden window is high in the wall so I drag over a chair to stand on. Looking through, I see my dad using a human as a punching bag as my mom wrestles another on the ground.

I wonder why they are training right now. Training for them is always a few hours long. They said they would be right back. They always tell me when they are training. Kloae's parents always watch us.

Kloae and I are the best of friends. Her hair is a pretty red-gold color, more blonde than anything, and her blue eyes are always dancing. I wonder where she is?

Mom's loosing her match. Somehow her golden hair has gotten berry juice on it. I wonder how? Dad has a cut on his face, but his original opponent is nowhere to be seen. I wonder if he took a bathroom break? I wonder why he didn't go earlier? I wonder why I'm in here if everyone's just training with new partners? I ask a lot of questions like that. I wonder...

Dad teases me by saying it's my favorite word, but sometimes I wonder if it's true.

Too bad Zane was missing this. He is at the Center with the Nurses. He'll get a lollipop. I hope he shares when he gets back.

Mom falls, and lays, unmoving. There is a lot of red. Red like the flowers in the spring that Zane and I would pick for the table.

I can almost hear, even in this soundproof haven, Dads anguished cry. Another human appears, this one with a large knife, longer and thinner than the ones Mom uses in the Kitchen. Dad doesn't see him, but the human sees Dad. He creeps up and- I don't see what happens next as flames rise up from the house in front and to the side of were they are training.

Suddenly, I see Kloae's pretty hair fly by the window and I start pouting, not really understanding or registering what was happening. Why does she get to stay outside? It only takes me a second to realize that she's going towards the door.

I rush to the door and unlock it from the inside, then wait for her to punch in her private code. Mine is 31415, Kloae's is 31417, and Zane's is 31416.

The door swings wide and Kloae's frightened face greets mine.

"Kloae! Come in!" I say. We will play while our parents train. She falters, then follows when I beckon.

Something shiny glints in my eye as we turn to close the door. I look closely at it and realize what I'm looking at.

A gun.

It is pointed at Kloae's head. She is oblivious. From where she stands, the light doesn't hit the silver metal at the right angle to make a visible shine.

I hear the sound of the safety clicking off, the matching click-click-clicks of the readying process.

I know what a gun can do. I know they are bad. I know I am not supposed to touch them. I know that they can kill me dead. I know these things and yet I cannot move. I am paralyzed with fear.

That is, until a split second before the man fires, I remember that it is Kloae, not me who is in danger.

"Kloae move-!"

_Bang._

The single sound echoes through the noise and chaos around us. Heads turn, frightened at the implications of the sound and where it was coming from.

But even a person with superhuman speed can't move faster than a bullet.

No one can go back a split second and change one thing.

The bullet flew.

The bullet hit.

Kloae fell.

It all happens over the course of hours, yet it all happens in a second. Time loses all meaning and rhythm as I feel my heart being torn into two, just as Kloae's head is. She falls into my arms and I slam the door shut, locking it subconsciously.

Kloae does not move.

Kloae does not breathe.

Nothing stirs. Nothing happens. There is no sound but the dripping of blood from Kloae's head.

_Drip._

One Mississippi.

_Drip._

Two Mississippi.

_Drip._

Three Mississippi.

I've forgotten who I am. I've forgotten who I was. I've forgotten who I was supposed to be.

_Drip._

Thirty thousand, one hundred twenty-three Mississippi.

Kloae is cold.

_Why is Kloae cold?_

**OoOoOoOoO**

**N/A: Wow. Dramatic. There were more than one surprises in here. Maybe you caught them all. Maybe you realized who she is, what's happening, maybe why Zane was turned?**

**Way longer than any of my other chapters. You are so welcome. Maybe we'll do one of these deals: Shorter Chapters every day or so, or a longer chapter up to three times a week.**

**You vote, you chose,**

**I write, non-reviewers lose!**

**Do you guys prefer action or romance? Alek's or Chloe's views? Did you understand how the almost time traveling thing worked? The YEARS AGO part?**

**Oh and just because I'm curious, what is the longest word(s) in this chapter?**

**Please review, the button only gets used every so often, and we don't want it to get rusty or dusty, do we? No, because then the wheels of the story would slowly grind to a halt as the rust slowly takes over, waiting away at everything until it falls apart and suddenly Chloe has Brian's child and Alek's dead, drowned in San Fran Bay...**

**No, I wouldn't do that...**

**But seriously. I don't like dirty or rusty things, they bother me.**

**The Button wants to give you a cookie, but it's asleep! Poke to wake it up!**


	5. Chapter 5

5-Those that Come in Through the Window.

**A/N: I very much dislike school sometimes... I haven't been able to write for so long. At least it seems like it... But here I'll go again. Wonder where this will go?**

**Usual disclaimers apply.**

**OoOoOoOoO**

**Chapter Five**

**KPOV(Years Ago, still)**

A beautiful lady is looking at me. Her golden eyes seem to be searching deep into my own, almost studying or weighing me. Her eyes are are both soft and cold and calculating, all at the same time.

"Hello?" I say. My Ukrainian greeting seems to pass right over her cat-eared head as she continues to look me over.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she raises her finger and lightly traces the part of my head that was...blown open? Where she touches, the skin pulls together. Pain that I did not know I felt, disappears. Tears that I did no know I had shed, vanish.

"There now, little one. All better." She says, her voice soft and soothing. "I'm Bastet, and you, little one, are my Chosen. It is troublesome that you've died so young."

I stare at her, not understanding what she means. Chosen? Seeing my obvious confusion, she brings me into her arms, lightly stroking my back.

"All in good time, all in good time. It is a hard path this world has paved for you, Kloae. Or should I say Chloe King?"

As she adds a weird surname to my name, I look at her like she's crazy, and she laughs. A slight purring sound is added at the end.

"Not yet, I guess. But soon, little one. Soon."

Then the world tilts and rises in darkness, and I know and feel no more.

**APOV (Still Years Ago)**

Kloae's body is warming up as slowly, my heart seems to mend. She has stopped bleeding and her heart's beating again. I must have been mistaken that it stopped.

I must have been.

Some how, some way, her head has been healed and her face has softened. She's growing warm at an alarming rate. Was she really as cold as I thought she had been? How long has it been since the gun?

In one way or another, the morning sun has managed to creep us into the midday position. That means Zane would be back in about three hours. That h=means it's been about an hour and a half since Kloae...died?

Died. Dead. Gone. Gone like my parents. They're dead. I know it. I saw it.

But Kloae was dead too. She was dead, but now she's alive. Why is she warm again, why is she starting to move? How is this possible? How?

"Alek." Her eyes are open, and their shocking blue color shows.

"Kloae. Kloae, you're alive! You were dead! I know you were!" I'm confused. so confused.

"Alek, who is-"

"Open up! Open up! We know your in there! We won't hurt you, just open up!" There is muffled shouting through the door. I do not trust them. They could be the ones who killed Father and Mother. They might want to kill Kloae or I.

"We can see the blood, open up!" Kloae gasps and I shush her, making a sign to remind her to be silent.

"Open up the door! By Bastet, I swear we won't hurt you!" Kloae startles at the name Bastet. She goes to the door and unlocks it before I can stop her. Outside are five people.

"Hello?" Kloae whispers. I guess she finally learned caution. They all stare at her head, which is still bloody, then at me.

One of the women tears up.

"Are you all that's left?" Left? What do they mean, 'all that's left'? I peek out the window again and register the piles of rubble and ash, the bodies, the blood...

All that is left. Yes. That's what we are. Mother and Father are gone. It's me and Kloae. Me and Kloae.

I nod. " They're all gone." My voice shakes. No more am I the brave boy waiting for my parents to return. No more am I waiting for Mother to rise, to know that this is all a dream. No.

"What's your name, younglin'?" A man- the leader, I think- asks softly, he kneels to look into my eyes.

"Alek."

"Well, hello there, Alek. Who's your friend?"

"I'm Kloae."

"Well then, Kloae, Alek," He nods to us in turn. "Come outside and we'll talk." We follow him out, all resistance gone. I hear whispers as we walk.

"We can't take them in- No room!"

"But the orphanages..."

"Has to be..."

"Uniter? Impossible."

"Look at the blood!"

"But look around..."

"Yes. Orphanage..."

Orphanage? Uniter? Who were these people? _What _were they talking about?

"Where are we going?" Chloe's wavering voice is the only real sound that penetrates the mass of slight whispers. The two woman who had been talking about orphanages look at each other, then at the leader-man. They shake their heads softly. The leader-man sighs.

"We are going to a place called an orphanage. It is were you will stay until you go to live with a new family."

"New family?" Chloe asks, voicing my own question. The leader-man sighs again, running his had through his hair, making it catch the light and shine. For a second, I am totally entranced. But then... A new family?

Whatever does that mean?

**A/N: I guess this is sort of a filler chapter... Less then the last chapter by about...half?'' sorry people I was sorta uninspired...**

**Yes, Kloae is Chloe. I thought it brought in a nice twist that she had lost a life they didn't know about. Brings in the stress for later.**

**Gosh! Some of your messages where so NICE! They're probably the reason this chapter got finished at all this week, what with my research report and all...Sorry world, school comes first.**

**If you've read this far, when you review, tell me your favorite kind of ice cream. For some reason, talking about sweets gives me ideas...**

**Oh yes... Romance next chapter! Give a big WOOT if your excited!**

**I get so happy when you guys review, it's really hard to focus... Now tell me your favorite candy bar.**

**Now, an important question: Should Chloe's mom be dead? She was almost, sorta, maybe emotional support, so I don't know if i should break that 'rung' of the ladder. However, it'll add something to the story. Some _drama _ per say. Or, maybe, she gets kidnapped by the Order? So confusing...**

**If you actually made it this far tell me... um... what your favorite chapter so far has been and.. ah.. um...**

**Alek: ~rolls eyes~ What your favorite thing about ME is? My sexiness, my hotness, my Britishness, my Alekness, my sexiness...**

**Chloe: ~Sneaks up with pillow~ Alek... I think that I like... ~Pillow engage~ YOUR AWESOME PILLOW FIGHT SKILLS!**

**Me: ~stressing~ My pillows, my pillows... Chloe, I think he's already passed out...**

**Chloe: ~Ignores~**

**Me: DO YOU WANT TO GIVE MY PERFECT LITTLE BOY BRAIN DAMAGE? I'm going to go ruin some of my pillows...**

**Chloe: Hypocrite.**

**Me: OK, LITTLE MAI GIRL! YOUR ON! Please R&R...my pillows...KK Bai!**


	6. Chapter 6

**6-Those that Come in Through the Window**

**A/N:.**

**If you were worried, Alek is fine, no brain damage. Chloe did test out insane though. You know, the Brian incident and all...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NLOCK, no matter how much I wish I did. I don't own my perfect little boy, Alek, or his true mate, Chloe. I just like putting them together in random fantasies.**

**I'm not quite sure were this is going, so bear with me.**

**Alek: You never know were you're going! You always seem to end up in a pillow store during your grocery...**

**Chloe: Hey! You know, some of us have to eat.**

**Me: Ugh, Pillows are better than food. Sustain your soul.**

**Alek and Chloe: ~Look at each other~ She's lost it. We're going back to testing.**

**Alek: If they can prove Chloe's insane, then I'm sure they can prove Missy is too...**

**Chloe: I'm not...oh baloney, pillows UNITE!**

**~Massive pillow fight ensues~**

**Me: My pillows, my pillows...oh my dear, dear pillows...**

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

**VPOV (Current time)**

They are so meant for each other. The way Chloe's able to calm Alek down, the way he's able to make her laugh, the way she laughs with him... It's all there, spelled in capital letters, if you know how to read it.

"Alek...?" She asks. I want to tell her that it won't work, but something tells me this time is different. When Alek gets that look in his eye, he doesn't respond to anyone or anything. He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep. He just sits or lies there and stares off into space. It's a bit like PTSD, except he doesn't remember what makes it happen and he doesn't remember anything during the entire time it happens. It's not very often that it happens, but when it does, you go away. You go away before the screaming, the only break in his staring. It's been at least a year since one's happened.

He seems to almost start at her questioning voice, but he does not break out. She kisses him, and he whispers,

"Kloae..." then, suddenly, he is stock straight in his chair, eyes glassy and staring straight ahead.

"Chloe... Chloe come here. I want you to go outside on the terrace and...water all of the plants." She looks at me, confused.

"It's the middle of the night, why would I be watering plants?"

"Just trust me...Hurry!" She quickly bustles out, muttering under her breath. As soon as the door closes behind her, I quickly hustle Alek off to his room. Before I can close the door though, the screaming starts. Something is different this time, though... Something about the screaming has another voice in it...Something feminine or-

_Chloe is screaming too._

Oh Bastet, their bond has matured _too_ fast, _too_ strongly... They already are this far along, and they d_idn't even realize it!_ I need to show them the prophecies as soon as possible...

The screaming reaches another pitch and I run out onto the terrace. I freeze at the sight of her lying on the cool ground, her eyes open in pure shock and fear. The look of seeing death.

It is a good thing that there is one of those 24-hour-teen-rock-band-concert things tonight. I usually hate them, but tonight...

_Focus._

I grab Chloe and hurry her inside. We soundproofed the penthouse as soon as we bought it, all those years ago. I think this is the time I've been most grateful. Thank Bastet, Jasmine's on enough meds to knock a human out for a week. She doesn't understand, but I love her. I'm just hard on her because I expect only the best from my darling daughter, the future pride leader.

Suddenly, the screaming is forming words, words that I have not been able to understand since he started having these 'fits'. It's almost a conversation between Alek and Chloe. **(Alek is **_italicized__**, **_**Chloe is **normal**.)**

"_Kloae, come in!_"

"Alek!"

"_Kloae, MOVE-_"

And then more screaming, louder and higher pitch.

"_Kloae!_"

"Hello?"

It's no longer a conversation, just screaming words that are missing answers. Not all are English. Most of them are not.

Ukrainian vowels slice through the air like carving knives, causing it to almost ripple or twist around us.

"_Cold, so cold..._"

"Who are you?"

"_Why is she so cold?_"

No... No... This is not happening. Kloae. That was her name. K, l, o, a, e. Varenti's daughter, of the same town as Alek. And cold only mean one thing. All the screaming, the fleeting memories...No wonder their bond was so strong.

They had been mates since they were three.

**OoOoOoOoO**

**A/N: So Valentina's figured it out, has she? We will see, we will see...**

**The next chapter...**

**Good news though, My report is due tomorrow, so I should be able to post more often after this.**

**This chapter probably is VERY ooc, I just thought that the ptsd might make something more interesting. If you didn't figure it out, the event that caused it was from the time during the 4-5 chapters.**

**I am not very certain on the details that go with stuff like that, so if you have any suggestions or comments, I would really like to make this as good as possible.**

**Alek: Missy, now come quietly, come on... I have your favorite pillow! Come on, slowly, towards the good doctor... Good Missy, good...**

**Me: Pillows...**

**On another note, do any of you find my pillow obsessions weird? Or just funny?**


	7. Chapter 7

7-Those that Come in Through the Window

**A/N: I'm so relieved that you people don't judge me for my pillow obsessions...**

**Alek: ~Rolls eyes~ More importantly, we were right. You've lost it. The stress over your report (Which you got more than 100% on, you freak), this story and your, ugh, pillows, has driven you off the edge.**

**Me: ~Pouts~ NOT TRUE! He said I was fine! He did! The fact that I _did _get an A+ proves the point!**

**Chloe: I'm going to take the initiative here: WARNING: She says there is probably ooc-ness with Jas, Valentina and Meredith. Just a general warning. Disclaimer: NLOCK, although being an extremely awesome show, does not belong to Her. This stinkin' plot line does, however. She likes putting Alek and I together and insisting that Brian was nothing. NOTHING. And making up dull prophecies about Alek and I being perfect together. Alek. with Me. Him. Me. uh huh. NO. BEEPING. WAY.**

**Alek: Get over yourself. You know it's true.**

**Chloe: I DON'T HAVE TO ADMIT IT IF I DON'T WANT TO! I DON'T HAVE TO ADMIT I LIKE HIM! I DON'T! I DON'T! I DON'T!I PLEAD THE FIFTH! I PLEAD THE FIFTH!**

**Alek and I: ~Sweatdrop~ She just admitted it...She just actually admitted it...**

**Valentina: ~Evil Glare of Death~ .. GET. BACK. TO. WORK.**

**Me, Alek and Chloe: ~Shiver~ Scary...**

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Chapter 7

**JPOV**

They all thought I was asleep. Huh, like I would ever sleep with Chloe screaming outside. Or Alek, for that matter. The pills the doctor had given me lie unconsumed on my bedside table.

The pain I am in would have nullified the meds effects anyway.

It is pain as such that you have to concentrate in order not to slip into the shadows. Maybe there is something that could numb me to the point that I would be able to breathe properly, but at this point I do not want to be heavily sedated. I do not.

The pain isn't all physical though. The gash in my stomach does not hurt as much as I hurt inside. The pain of betrayal and heartbreak.

Zane had been my boyfriend, the one who had hugged me, kissed me. Then...what had happened? Was it all fake?

Tears can only do so much to numb you inside. And, eventually, you run out. It's amazing. To feel like your crying, both inside and out, but to realize that no tears are coming out, that they long since had stopped falling. You do the cough-gasp-choke thingy that we girls always end up doing, knowing that the sheets below you are wet, and not because of any of the normal causes, shower, bed-wetting...others..., but from tears and lots of them.

Have you ever noticed that tear, as in you tore or to tear and tear, like the tear fell down my cheek, are spelled exactly the same? It's interesting... Bastet, I am losing it, to be thinking of such things now... I'm afraid. What if I've lost it? Or maybe I'm just in shock? No, I've lost it...

Haven't I?

**VPOV**

Shock penetrates my consciousness, pushing away all signs of logic. Oh no. No, no, no. It wasn't true. It wasn't true...

The heartbeat in Jasmine's room starts to accelerate, causing my head to clear. Was something wrong? I rush in, expecting her to be feverish or tossing, but instead, I find her staring straight ahead, whispering nonsense under her shuddering breaths.

The pills that Marci had given her lie on the bedside table, unmoved. What a silly child.

I lightly place my hand on her shoulder. "Jasmine," I whisper, slightly shaking her as to not hurt her more. She whimpered, something entirely out of character. I frown.

"Jasmine? Jasmine, what's wrong?" She's whimpering and muttering, barely shifting as I nudge her shoulder. She squints her eyes tightly and whispers.

"I've lost it... I'm gone... Lost... Not worth living..." Ah, I know what's happening. If only she had taken the pills! They have antidepressants in them, Marci had thought this would happen.

"Jasmine, take these pills. Come now, everything's alright. Come on..." I plead with her for almost an hour, her moans, whimpers and muttered words showing that she's ignoring me. Or at least trying to...

Finally she takes the pills and falls asleep. I sigh and gently wipe the tears on her cheeks away with the pads of my thumbs. She's still my little girl, right?

**MPOV**

It's dark here. They said that they wanted to know about Chloe, my daughter. Her weaknesses, her strengths. They also asked if I _knew_. "Knew what?" I had asked. They had paused for a bit, then muttered something along the lines of 'nothing, forget we asked'. Then the two shadows left, leaving me here, where I am now.

In the dark. Alone.

I suppose right now is when I explain how I got here, chained to a wall and in what seems like an underground, medieval prison. The problem is, I really don't recall. I mean, I got into the car with that charming man, whose name is just slipping my mind, before suddenly, everything went black. I know. It sounds strange, like 'really, no headache? No dizziness, loss of breath or random extreme pain at the back of the head? You just black out? C'mon Meredith, you can do better than that!' But it's true. I got in, the door closed, and then out of the blackness I was here.

Why do these people want to know about Chloe? Is she in trouble? Maybe she's in a gang. That would explain all the secrets, the tired eyes in the morning, that 'walk'. A drug gang? No, she's not that kind of girl... Or was she? She has been so weird lately... But she said it wasn't drugs. I believe her, I think. Chloe wouldn't lie to me about something like that, would she? No, she's not that kind of girl... Oh gosh! Now I've gone around in a complete circle!

They're back now, the two black shapes of men. The have an object that glints in the faint moonlight. Glints silver.

"Goodnight, Mrs. King. I doubt we'll be seeing you again anytime soon." A shot rings out. Of course, _silver _glint. A gun.

Pain, red in the black, then white, chasing the red up my veins and through my body stopping the red and bringing numb. That numbness is beautiful...so pretty...who am I? Where am I, in this world of white? There's nothing here...No feeling...

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

**A/N: Ah, I'm sorry for the wait. I was epically uninspired. Quite short actually, this one. Only about 1300 words long. Sorry...Should get more interesting after this though... I almost promise.**

**If you guys didn't notice, there are two new things about me: ONE, I'm betaing. I know, I barely get these things out, but really, plot lines are not my cup of tea. I just can't get them to work out very well. _However_, I'm an exceptional editor and revisor, if i do say so myself, and enjoy it a lot. TWO, I posted a different story, The Way We Were. It was originally going to be a one shot, but many people want more. _BUT, _I want more voices and opinions on the matter. So, if you wouldn't mind, I would very much appreciate it if you would go over and comment your opinion on it. **

**Hey, mysterygirl97, you are probably my favorite person in the world right now. Have been for a little over two weeks. You rock my world. Literally. I dance around whenever you comment and my pillows all get a special hug.**

**Until next time... R&R.**

**Alek and Chloe: ~whispering~ The doctor said it was good for her if she receives praise, so please, help us! Review!**

**Me:Ah, pillow...**


	8. Chapter 8

**8-Those that Come in Through the Window**

**A/N: You guys are so sweet! You made me smile and blush! *hugs bunny pillow* I'm sorry I haven't updated, but family issues came up and I had other items that are slightly more important...**

**Alek: But all you ever do is complain that you want to sleep with your new pillow!**

**Chloe: Hush! You could at least be nice on Her birthday!**

**Jasmine: *shocked* Chloe said something nice about Sira... Mark the moment!**

**Alek: *sweatdrop* Her birthday was, like, last month. You missed it.**

***Pillows.* (need I say more?)**

**Edward Elric: Since Sira insists on working on this story instead of mine, I will help speed things along. Disclaimer: Sira does not own NLOCK or me. There *disappears***

**Everyone: *stops* O.O?**

**Me: How did he get here?...**

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Somewhere in the middle of California, a girl sits, watching anime on a laptop, hiding in her bed. Her long legs are clad only in a pair of gym shorts and a plain green shirt covers her lacking upper half. A crochet beanie covers her head, two odd shaped humps showing beneath it, ruining the effect of a regular lazy teenager lazing away. One of those rough triangles twitches and the girl flinches as a character gets a gash on his shoulder. She groans and falls back on her bed, effectively knocking her hat off and revealing two light blonde cat ears. One twitches in irritation as the girl stares at her mirror.

"What am I?"

**OoOoOoOoO**

***Valentina***

_Three times the Uniter must fail. Twice to the Destroyer and once to Love. Until the One who is Whole rises and falls, the time cannot come and the Protecter will never succeed. But what tender love will save the world will surely break apart, and until that love is whole again and a chi-_

The rest of the page is burned. It has been for centuries. This ancient relic, the only one of it's kind, holds an ancient prophecy about the Uniter and conditions for her success. Every pride has a copy, but only San Francisco has held the original in the last 100 years. It's stayed here since the last Reading when it was Read that the next place the Uniter could appear was _here_. And that Reading was correct, at least in this category.

I slowly put the paper down, looking out from the large glass windows of my office. What did it say, the rest of it? What information or requirements have been lost? The "chi-" bothers me. I don't know what to say if I have to explain to Chloe she would have to have a baby with Alek. This isn't the only prophecy that might hint towards a baby. I let out a long sigh, worn out. They needed to see it. Weather I wanted them to or not.

***Chloe***

Waking up next to Alek, in his bed, with no idea on how I got there, is surprising at the best, disorientating at worst and, in a way, frightening beyond belief. But then again, it's also wonderful in someway. Somehow it feels amazing just to be next to him. Is this what Bastet meant? Is Alek who she was talking about?

"Alek," I whisper. He shifts slightly and I hold my breath, hoping I haven't woken him.

"Chloe..." He murmurs quietly and brings his arm over my body, hugging me close and making me smile into his chest.

"You big Teddy bear," I softly tease.

"You like it." He's awake now. He starts to pull his arms away, taking the warmth and calmness with them, but I quickly pull them back around my bare arms.

"Stay."

"With you? Forever." I smile at his cute remark and tap his nose gently with my finger before nestling myself deeper into his warm, light blue shirt.

"You smell good."

"Do I?"

"Yes. Like soap."

"The soap says thank you for the compliment." I wrinkle my nose at him.

"It's more of how it smells on you..."

"The soap still says thank you."

"Oh get over yourself..."

"As you wish."

"You know, I really liked that movie."

"Movie? I only read the book."

"I think it's a moral imperative then."

"I might just so be inclined to agree with you."

"Fancy that." I look up at Alek, feigned horror crossing my face. "But Alek, that would mean I have to get up. Actually _move_!"

"Bastet forbid that you should _move_."

"Yes." He rolls his eyes at my childish reply, mocking my crossed arms and trying to copy my almost-pout.

"You look cute like that."

"Don't I always?"

"Of course you do, little kitten."

"I'm not little."

"Of course you're not, kitten."

"Then why am I still I kitten?"

"Can't I have at least one pet name for you?"

"About that- I think there should be more variety-"

"Oh stop it you two!" Valentina had entered while we were mock-fighting.

"He-"

"She-"

"-started it. I know." She gives us her trademark 'I'm the queen, so shut up' look and we readily comply. She holds our gazes for a second before sighing and looking away slowly. "I think that it would be wise... To show you some more of the prophecies." Alek and I share look. What had happened since the last time we had seen Valentina? This is unlike her.

"Are you sure?" Alek asks, and we finally untangle from each other, Alek standing up and I sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Yes. From what I heard last night-"

"Oh yeah, what happened last night?" I ask. Alek nods to show he also would like to know.

"...That's a different conversation. Get dressed and meet me in my office." She turns and leaves, obviously frazzled. Which is surprising considering I've never seen her that way before.

I turn to Alek. "So about my pet names-"

"Chloe," he warns.

"I just don't think that only calling me kitten-"

"Chloe," his voice is more of a growl now, more threatening. I choose to ignore him.

"I'm a full fledged Mai, not some weakling who can't _do _anything." I cross my arms again.

Alek's smile suddenly turns dark and strange light enters his eyes. He pounces on me, causing a small squeak to be ripped from my constricting throat and pins my wrists to both sides of my head, slowly lowering his own head until our foreheads touch and our noses are squished together. Subconsciously, I try to wriggle out from underneath him as I try to stop the deep flush on my face. Looking up, into his eyes, I stop breathing and all my struggles halt as I find myself caught in a deep well of warm brown turned hard as rock.

For a second it seems like he's going to kiss me, but then a smirk comes and dominates his face and he pulls back slightly.

"Not a weakling, eh?"

"That's cheating! You're playing with a girl's emotions!"

"So what if I am? I didn't realize there where any rules."

"Well, there are rules now, 'kay?" I state, tapping his nose as if we where children and playing a game together. Which we might actually be doing...

"Chloe," he starts, but I cut him of quickly.

"I know, I know. We'll go over now." He smiles as he realizes that I had known exactly what he wanted to say.

"Thanks."

"No problem. I know how much of a scaredy cat you are."

"I am not!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes really. You where the one I just proved was weak and worthy of the name of kitten."

"That's and entirely different situation."

"No it's not. Now both of you be quite and come with me." Valentina had one again entered the room and was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips and wearing a disaproving look on her face.

"Coming."

"We were on our way, anyway..."

"I heard, though it doesn't seem like you're moving all that fast." I blush slightly. It was true that I had been trying to drag the moment out for some reason I couldn't quite place. It had just felt so right to be there with him that I had lost all common sense.

***Valentina***

Just by looking at their blushing faces and their axwardly half-turned bodies, I could tell that their slowness to leave the room had been purely intentional. On both parts. Neither of them had wanted to end the moment they had gotten to share.

They are ready, Bastet. Please help them.

Please.

**OoOoOoOoO **

**A/N: OMG! Four months later, the mysterious me has returned with a chapter... How alarming for all of us. Even I started wondering if I was alive, and my mom wanted to know if I needed to see my doctor... Embaressing.**

**Shout out to Mirm003, one of my besties in RL. She helped me to actually finish this chapter after I had given up on getting any ideas.**

**No idea where this is going, so if it goes wrong, I'll call it as temperary insanity.**

**Alek: What are you calling temperary?**

**Chloe: That's my line...**

**Jasmine: *pokes Chloe* She doesn't seem like her usual self right now, Alek...**

**Alek: Maybe she'd depressed that she's falling for me.**

**Chloe: *blushes* NO FRIGGIN WAY!**

***pillows***

**Me: *sweatdrop* I think they do it on purpose sometimes... Please reveiw! I work faster that way.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Those that Come in Through the Window-9**

**A/N: I suppose that since you've all reviewed so much and my thought bunnies have been given some snacks and whale shark friends... I should give you a chapter, right?**

**Chloe: Finally! It's already been, like, a week, right?**

**Alek: I thought you didn't like this story...**

**Chloe: *blushes* Whoever said that?**

**Jasmine: You did, my young padawan.**

**Chloe: Oh... Um... Just a sec, 'Kay? *runs away quickly***

**Alek: She finally realized what we knew and that we knew it all along!**

**Me: I know! I'm so glad! *high fives Alek***

**Jasmine: *pouts* I don't get anything?**

**Alek: No. You're being a silly little girl and crying in your bed.**

**Jasmine: *cries* Missy, Alek's being a meanie again! Make him stop!**

**Me: *sweatdrop* You're really crying over this? Aren't you used to it by now?**

**Jasmine: Now you're being mean, too! *runs to her room***

**Me: *sighs* I'll deal with her while you read. I no own you no sue...**

**OoOoOoOoO**

It's cold here. Very cold. My hands are numb and my legs feel like they end just above the knee. Both of my nostrils are frozen shut, so I can only breathe through my mouth, the cold air sharp and biting on the back of my throat. A soft, wet, snowy substance covers my cheek and My inner ear tells me I'm lying down somewhere. I can't see anything- my eyes are frozen shut, probably from tears.

In the distance, there is the sound of crunching snow and a bit of barking. My brain fails to register this as anything usefull. It's just so cold... So very, very cold...

" 'Scuse me miss, are you alright?" I make no reply. My arms are numb now, too. Why is it so cold?

There is the feeling of movement. Upward, I think. Talking. There is talking too. Then I am set down of something soft and covered by something just as soft, and I fall into the coldness of the world.

***Chloe***

When Alek and I enter Valentina's study, it's different than it ever been before. I can't quite place it, but something feels different. There is a mixture of regret, fear and hope, plus another feeling that I don't know. What exactly are the prophecies? What could possibly be foretold for me?

Valentina motions for us to stop and wait and goes to the far filing cabinet, pulling out a large file from the bottom drawer. Both Parchment and printed paper stick out. She walks to her desk and puts the folder down, an audible _thump_sounding as it hits the weathered wood. She goes back to the cabinet and, after a moment, heaves up an inscribed stone tablet. Alek and I exchange a look. A stone tablet? Really? Why not just take a picture and save on shipping costs? Gosh I ask a lot of questions...

"Ehem!" While I was thinking, Valentina had finished getting everything she needed, leaving a pile on the desk of three file folders, two stone tablets and a large vellum.

"All of this?" Valentina nods and Alek and I both sigh.

"I'll take half if you take half."

"Read them aloud one by one?"

"Yeah."

"'Kay"

And so, we start in.

**OoOoOoO**

The bell rings and the girl exits her fourth period class, glad that her school day was finally over. She doesn't know how much longer she could have taken Mrs. Havecin's drawling. One can only sit through so much of the stiff monotone she used for everything before bursting into flames.

The girl heads down the hallway, glancing around at the people passing by before patting her head to make sure the beanie was still on. She has found a way to pin her hair so that the ears are made to lie flat and invisible, but it is a painful and inefficient way to solve the problem.

She sighs, the breathe hot on the roof of her mouth. What to do today? Goodness knows that San Fran had nothing to do...

...So she goes and watches television and reads for the rest of the day, completely ignoring her weekend homework.

"-do you have?" The beginning of the sentence is cut off by the blaring of a truck horn.

"Say that again, Mom?"

"I said-what homework do you have?" Another horn blocks out the sound of the girl's name.

"Nothing much. Just Algebra 2 and Health. I finished Computer Apps during lunch."

"Shouldn't you finish that?"

"Nah."

"-" A third horn blocks out the girl's name again. "Sheesh! I'm going to have a talk with those boys again, honking like this." Her mother turns around and quickly heads down the stairs. "Holy mother Bastet, help me keep my nerve..." The girl can barely hear the older woman's muttering.

Who was Bastet? Curious, she opens a new tab on her browser, entering in the address of her favorite search engine. When the page loads, she quickly types in 'Bastet', and is surprised when she realizes she spelled what she assumed was a name correctly, without even trying. She clicks the first link and starts reading. On the top of the second paragraph there is a photo of an Egyptian artifact found in a collapsed temple. It shows the image representation of Bastet spreading her arms over a small mass of cat-like people dressed in priest robes.

Apparently, they were called the Mai.

**OoOoOoO**

***Chloe***

I stare at the words I have just finished reading, hoping that what I had just read was a mistake by some ancient scribe. If it isn't, then everything has been a lie. This was all set up.

He never really loved me.

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: Had to add a little something, you know...**

**THERE! I updated. Wow. Fastest real update ever. (The first three chapters don't count) Be happy it wasn't another four months!**

**Another thing: THE GIRL NEEDS A NAME! PUT A SUGGESTION/PROFILE IN YOUR REVIEW OR PM IT TO ME! I will chose my favorite and it shall be used from now on.**

**Is that enough?**

**Alek: Yes. Now let's go make fun of Chloe!**

**Me: Totally with you. Bai!**


	10. Chapter 10

**TtCiTtW-10**

**A/N: So you all found Ch. 9 confuzling? Hmm... I didn't think it was too hard to get. Here is a brief overview if you were confused.******

**Section one: Meredith is somewhere really cold and snowy and is rescued to somewhere.******

**Section Two: Chloe and Alek are presented with the prophecy material.******

**Section Three: Kayla (YAY the girl finally has a name! Thank you, Grace5231973!) finds out what the Mai are and we get a hint that her mom might not be human.******

**Section four: Chloe reads a prophecy that sparks a forest fire of doubt in her relationship with Alek. Was it all really set up?******

**There. Happy?******

**Valentina: Yes. I was a bit confused too.******

**Me: Sorry...******

**Valentina: Nah. It's okay. I already punished you by shredding three pillows.******

**Me: O.O *freezes in shock* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! *faints*******

**Alek: Now look what you've done! I'll never get my happy ending!******

**Jasmine: Disclaimer: For the last time, she doesn't own. No sue!******

**OoOoOoO****  
><strong>  
>According to the prophecies, the Uniter and their Protector form a bond together. That bond is where many of the Uniter's powers come from. After reading a bunch of prophecies that implied this, I finally found one that said it bluntly.<p>

_And the two must bond under Her holy gaze and together make a place for the One to flourish and grow into her powers.___

_Without this bond and the gifts that come from its strength, the world cannot hope to know peace and the great Blessing cannot happen to the One..._

It went on and on about the importance of this Bond, making me think about what Alek and I had developed over the last two nights-No, weeks.

Was his love for me ever real? Or was this one of Valentina's elaborate plans? Are the feelings I've had around him false?

And what about Bastet's words? True Mate? I have so many questions, and no one to answer them. If only I could talk to Bastet again.

"Chloe?" Alek comes around and places a hand on my shoulder, concern evident in his voice.

"A-Alek..."

"What is it?"

"Do you really care about me?"

"You're asking that now? After everything I've done for you?" He is irritated at my question, but is keeping it under control.

"I-I just don't want this to be fake..."

"Chloe..."

"Alek. I need you." Valentina has appeared in the doorway, a softer version of a glare present on her face. Alek looks at her closely and sees something that I miss. He immediately stands up, hugging me softly.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to have to go for a bit. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Humph." I don't really know how to act at this point. Please, Bastet. Just a whisper, a sign, a dream- something.

**OoOoOoO******

***Kayla*****  
><strong>  
>My head shoots up the second the knock on the door sounds. I feel my left ear twitch under the soft crochet of the beanie I'm wearing as I subconsciously search for a sound to clue me in on who's outside.<p>

"Hello? Kayla? Your mother said you where holing yourself up and called my mother. They want me to try and cheer you up." I pause, tugging my beanie down tighter, before creeping over to the locked door.

"We haven't seen each other outside of school for almost two months and you expect me to forgive you? You didn't show up at any of our usual times and you've not once responded to any of my texts. C'mon. I trusted you, Alek." A sigh comes through the door.

"Kayla, let me in. I know you're not really mad." He's right. If anyone here is hiding anger, it's him. I reach my fingers down the rest on the lock, rubbing my thumb against the smooth chrome.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Kayla..."

"Fine." I wrap my thumb and forefinger around the small knob and turn it slowly, listening to the click-click-click of the lock. As it reaches the last rotation, I breathe in deeply. "Come in then..."

"Thanks." The handle moves down it designated path, and the door opens. It comes along faster then I expect, causing me to dash out of the way.

As my form settles on the small bed at the center of the left wall, Alek blinks for a second.

"How..." he asks stupidly, his mouth hanging open. I narrow my eyes. It too forced, he's hiding something. He _knows_ something.

"How what, Alek?" Oh we, might as well act like nothing's wrong.

"Nothing..."

"Oh?"

"Leave it alone, Kayla." He slot walks towards my bed, hands in pockets, a small frown on his face. I frown. Something is definitely bothering him.

"Alek... Something's wrong with you. What's bugging you so much?"

"There's this girl..."

"Oooooh! Alek-Kun has a girlie!" I shout, clasping my hands together on top of my chest and jumping up and down on my poor bed. Alek grabs my shoulders and forcefully pulls me down.

"Calm down! Sheesh. Why was I even called here?" He turns, as if to leave.

"Alek! Don't leave!" I hug him to myself, squeezing as hard as I can. He shifts back to face me.

"I was just joking. Relax, Kay." he pats my beanie playfully.

As soon as his hand hits the soft blue yarn, both of us freeze.

He felt them! My ears! I cans still feel the warmth through the beanie- his hand's still there.

"Kay, what are you hiding from me?" He eyes me with a stern look.

"Nothing!" I quickly duck out from underneath his hand and roll of the bed, running and throwing open the far window to reveal that the screen's been removed. I grab hold of the sill and swing my legs over, hurriedly running across our roof and onto old Mrs. Keifer's.

"Kay!" Alek shouts, sticking his head out of the window.

"Leave me alone, you British bishie!"

"Kayla! This is no time for that!" He jumps out of the window, swiftly following my path.

"It's always time to tease you!" I respond, quickening my pace.

"Kay... Kayla! You need to stop running! There's a-"

"Large jump?" I push with my legs, easily clearing the wide gap. "I know."

"Kayla..." He stops, looking at me with conflicted emotion.

"Alek," I reply, stopping as well.

"Kayla, how-" I remove my beanie and shake my head, letting my ears show.

"Your answer. Now I want my own, too. How can you keep up with me? How did you know about the gap?"

"Kayla..."

"Yes. That would be my name."

"Kay..."

"My goodness! Yes! That's my name! We've established that! Answer the stinkin' question!"

"I'm like you."

"I thought you said you already had a girl."

"No! Well yeah, but I think you heard me wrong. I said I'm like you."

"Like me? In what way? Sure you can run and leap like I do, but I see to ears or tail."

"You have a tail too?"

"Alek..."

"Okay! Okay. That's because I don't have either."

"Then I fail-"

"And most all of our kind don't."

"Our... kind?"

"Yes. I believe you are Mai, Kay."

"But the picture had us all with tails and ears..."

"It's true that we used to all be that way."

"No longer?"

"No longer."

"Then why?"

"Why you?" I nod. "I don't know, Kay."

"But-"

"I think we need to talk to Aunt Val."

"Aunt Val? I thought she was your mother."

"My mother is dead."

"I-I-"

"You're sorry. I know. Everyone always is."

"But..."

"No need. Let's go." He jumps to where I am and continues running along the uneven rooftops.

"By... Rooftop?"

"Yeah. We'll go in the balcony He smiles back at me, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Don't you want to meet my 'girlie'?"

"Yes! Lead the way!" I really want to meet the girl that's captured his heart.

Even if he'll always be _my_ British bishie.

**OoOoOoO******

**A/N: Look O.O another chapter! Amazing!******

**I NEED A BETA! IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND ARE GOOD AT EDITING PLEASE PM ME! Note: If you are my beta, it will also be your job to nag me about writing chapters...******

**PLEASE. I really need one. I want someone to at least nag me every so often.******

**!ADVERTISEMENT ALERT!******

**Oh! If you are a FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST fan, please check out my story Unknown. And if you're a VAMPIRE KNIGHT fan, I'll have a collab with a friend up soon. It'll be called Thorns.******

**!ADVERTISEMENT OVER!******

**Ugh... Sorry for my shameless advertising...******

**Alek: You better be! *whacks me with pillow*******

**Me: Oww...******

**Jas: You deserved that. I mean, I wasn't even in the chapter.******

**Meredith: *nods*******

**Chloe: And I said, like, three things.******

**Me: You all just hate me, don't you...******

**Kayla: No... *hits Alek with pillow* You're just a good pincushion for our anger.******

**Me: Glad I can help...******

**Valentina: *shreds a pillow* HURRY UP AND WRITE THE NEXT ONE!******

**Me: Okay, okay... *hobbles away*******

**Alek: Please review! Missy will write faster that way!**


	11. Chapter 11

**TtCiTtW- 11**

**A/N: My goodness! Our first double number! Isn't this exciting? I'm getting a little *sniff* emotional! **

**I am, however, disappointed in the number of nice things you all are saying about TtCiTtW. I'm feeling discouraged...**

**Alek: But you promised!**

**Me: I know, I know. But I finally understand why everyone always asks for reviews! IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE A WRITER'S INSPIRATION!**

**Jas: You still promised...**

**Me: I know, I know. But I have a plan!**

**Valentina: Oh? I want to hear this!**

**Me: MY NEW UPDATING STRUCTURE WILL BE IN THE ENDING A/N! I hope you all read it!**

**Alek: *hold up pillow* Well, what'll we do with these today? I mean, its the only reason you even have fans, Missy.**

**Me: *tears up* My pillows... My story...**

**Chloe: Alek... *hold up knife* Let slowly cut it up!**

**Jas: I'll do the screams!**

**Me: I don't own these scary people who are so cruel to me! (That was a disclaimer, people.)**

**Kayla: I'M IMPORTANT, PEOPLE! I PLAY A ROLE!**

**Me: Kayla, you're the only one who likes me...**

**Kayla: Nah. I was the one who gave Chloe the knife.**

**Me: (T-T)**

**Meredith: Read the story and REVEIW!**

**OoOoOoO**

"Miss? Miss? Can you hear me?"

I try to reach my hand put towards the heavily accented voice, stretching past the darkness that surrounds me, but my stiff joints fail me and I return to the hidden depths of my black cave.

**OoOoOoO**

***Kayla***

As we went along our way, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, a thought occurred to me. I stop and tug on his shirt sleeve.

"Alek, I've never actually been to your house."

"It's not a house."

"It's not?"

"No. It's a majestic castle in the sky!"

"Really?"

"No."

"Oh... Then you do live in a house?"

"No, a penthouse apartment."

"So a castle in the sky."

"Kayla..."

"Tell me, are the Pegasi really that majestic?"

"Something's telling me you're going a bit too far..."

"Do the fairies really sing and dance?"

"I told-"

"Is your girlie really a witch that's come to steal your soul?" At my last comment, Alek's face turns cold.

"Kayla, your jokes have gone too far. I will not have Chloe be called a witch. She is very dear to me and to our race and you will be pleasant and polite." His tone is harsh, and I find myself shivering in fear.

"I-I understand."

"Good. Now lets go."

"Okay."

**OoOoOoO**

***Chloe***

After Alek leaves, all I can do is sit on the wood floor of Valentina's office, fiddling with the papers and parchments strewn around me, and stare at the rough circle of clear floor in front of me where Alek had minutes before been sitting.

_"You're asking that now? After everything I've done for you?"_

His words replay over and over in my mind. Why was I doubting him now? Am I so insecure as to really believe that all we've had is fake? He'd almost died for me, sacrificed countless hours to watch me, and comforted me when I needed it.

But then, didn't Jas do that too?

My thoughts flicker to the day he'd taken me to the station. The sound if his breathing, the sound of his voice, only for me, and the beautiful pulsing of his heart.

Did I love him even then? His personality, his orbs of molten chocolate, the wonderful feeling he gave me- Had I loved all of that back then, too?

I sigh, trying to dismiss the thoughts ricocheting around in my head. It doesn't work.

I love Alek. It's as simple as that. All I can do is hope that he really does love me.

_I wish I wasn't a duty to him..._

"Chloe, are you alright?" Jasmine's voice drifts through the bookshelf-walled room, startling my thoughts into silence. I spin around.

"Jasmine!"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Are you supposed to be up?"

"'Dunno, but you seemed distressed, judging by your heartbeat. Mom stepped out to get food, so I know it's just you and me here. I wondered what was wrong." I blink at her, memorizing the way she leans against the left side of the doorframe. I want to remember her like this, a half-smile on her face, laughing light in her eyes. I want this image with me, not one of her sickly pale on the floor with blood...

"I'm so glad you're okay..." My whispered sentence trails off into tears. "I'm so glad..." I get off the floor, picking my way over to where she's standing.

"Chloe, enough of that. I'm fine. You're not. I can tell. What's wrong?" I wipe my eyes, looking away.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not! Tell me Chloe."

"There's nothing-"

"Chloe, one last time- Don't give me that shiz! Something's not right with you!" I give in.

"Alek-"

"There's almost no need to go on," she mutters. I shoot her a look.

"Do you want to hear or not?"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Well, Alek and I were going through some-" There's the sound if a large _thump! _and footsteps on the balcony. Jas is immediately on guard, though she winces as she moves.

"Get behind me," she hisses, pulling out a curved knife.

"I can help!"

"Chloe, no."

"But-"

"No!"

"Your wound-"

"I said I was fine! Now get behind me!" I get behind her, grumbling.

There is the sound of the balcony door sliding open and two pairs of feet enter the apartment.

"I'm back!~" Alek's voice come into the large office, echoing slightly. Jasmine only lowers her guard slightly.

"Alek?"

"Who else?" He pokes his head around, grinning.

"Who's with you?" Jas asks cautiously.

A pretty girl walks around the corner and hugs Alek from side.

"Are you talking about me, Alek-pooh?"

I stare as Alek brings his arm around her, pulling her closer.

Suddenly, all I want to do is get out of the room. I turn on my heel and _run_, tears flowing out if my eyes. I can only run blindly, without thinking, in any way my legs take me. I just don't want to be here.

My traitor legs take me to Alek's room, the place where I had once taken refuge and comfort. But the smell of him is no longer comforting or sweet, but oppressive and overpowering. I look around for a way to escape, but the room only has one door and I can hear footsteps out in the hall. My eyes catch on the window and I throw it open, not even thinking about the drop as I climb up and over the sill and leap off the top of the building, down into the alley below.

The air rushes fast, tearing the tears away almost before the emerge from my eyes. Then, impact comes, smarting and immensely painful. I pause for a moment, dealing with the pain, before coughing and continuing on my frantic run.

I don't see the blood left in the ground nor the two people dressed in black hiding two alleyways up ahead.

I just want to run away. Far away.

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: There. Finished. I'm going to bed...**

**In my first chapter, a long time ago for some of you and maybe just this week for others, I said I would never set a quota for these chapters, because I thought it was wrong. I'm NOT going back on that promise. What I am going to do, however, is this:**

**I am going to make a pointed effort to update every other week, exactly fourteen days from the last update. HOWEVER! If I get the amount of reviews listed at the bottom of the chapter, italicized I be quite visible, I shall update the following day. **

**Thus, I the asking amount is eight, and I get that the day after I post a chapter, then the day after I get that eighth review, I will post the next chapter. If I /don't/ get the amount listed, the chapter will be updated about fourteen days after the previous update.**

**Understand? Hopefully. **

**Remember, just because someone else might review doesn't mean the asking amount will be reached without your review! If you enjoyed the chapter, or have just finished reading the story up to the latest chapter, take the 30 seconds to write a sentence (all you need are those few words that tell me you enjoyed it or that you didn't) and help get the next chapter faster!**

**So, Let's try this starting now. Happy reviewing!**

**Gosh, that was long...**

**Alek: Don't we know it!**

**Chloe: Yeah. Everyone was probably excited about a long chapter and it was all just this new update policy.**

**Kayla: *dangles knife* I still have this. Why don't we use it?**

**Jas: Uh guys...**

**Alek: Yeah, I'm bored...**

**Valentina: You know your just making this longer and I'M FREAKING HUNGRY! *scary look***

**Everyone else: *shivers* Scary...**

**OoOoOoO**

**_Reviews for Early Release: 8_**


	12. Chapter 12

**TtCiTtW-12**

**A/N: I had 7 reviews within 6 hours. I LOVE YOU PEOPLE! - That was my first thought...Then I realized that I would have to write another chapter that 's almost a "Thank Goodness" that the 8th review didn't come until the next day. BUT I STILL LOVE ALL OF YOU!**

**You guys did so much better than I expected! I think we'll keep this system, adding onto the required number of reviews if you start doing the number in one day. I can only write so fast...**

**Alek: Oh get over it!**

**Me: Never...**

**Chloe: She's decided to back to our simplistic Author's notes. They were getting too long...**

**Alek: *shakes head* You got that right.**

**Me: Disclaimer: I don't own NLOCK, though I think I've made that clear by now.**

**Chloe: It's pretty clear, considering how messed up this fic is!**

**Me: I'll go cry in Band as you read this chapter...**

**Oh yeah. I didn't have time to go through the actual chapter and change the text type, so anything with a slash on either side of it is actually in****_ /italics/._**

**OoOoOoO**

***Alek***

The second my hand touches Kayla, I know I'm in trouble. I try to change the motion, make it seem like I was pulling her behind me, but it ends up looking like Im pulling her close.

Chloe's eyes go wide and I see that tears are imminent. They start falling before she can even turn. Then, she starts to run, and /fast/. Faster than any human, faster than Jasmine or I, faster, probably, than any Mai.

Jas gives me an angry look.

"Alek! What was that!?"

"No time." I quickly push away from Kayla and out of Valentina's office. Chloe had already been doubtful because of that bloody prophecy and now she's seen what must have looked like a hug with another girl. I hear her heartbeat, but it's moving too fast for me to pinpoint it, so I stop listening for it. Where would she go?

My room?

Maybe. I slow my pace a bit as I go down the hall that leads to Jas' room and, farther down, mine. There are only two ways in or out of the apartment, and one of them is a very dangerous exit. But, as far as I can tell, neither the balcony or the front door have been accessed.

I focus for a second. I can't hear Chloe's heartbeat at all! Frantically, I swing my head back and forth.

"Alek! I can't hear her any more!" Jas appears behind me, just as panicked. Kayla looks at me from behind her, confusion and worry showing. My eyes harden.

"Kayla, look what you've done! What was with that 'Alek-pooh'?! Hugging me!? I told you we were going to meet my 'girlie' and to behave." Kayla flinches.

"I, I'm sorry-"

"Don't give me an 'I'm Sorry'!"

"I didn't mean-"

"Don't give me that either! Look what you've-"

"Alek! That's enough!" Jasmine voice offers no room to disobey.

"Sorry..." My apology is forced, but she accepts it.

"S'kay. I know she means a lot to you. It is my fault." I nod, acknowledging her apology. I turn to Jasmine.

"Jas, do you think-"

"I smell blood." Kayla's comment makes Jasmine and I freeze.

"You smell what?"

"Blood. From outside the building. It's fresh."

"How can you smell that?" Jas' question is cut off as Kayla once again removes her beanie.

"That's how," I say.

"Alek, do you think?"

"Yeah, but Aunt Val would know for sure."

"This could be very important..."

"Isn't Chloe important too? What if that's her blood?" Kayla is calm as she states what Jas and I are ignoring.

"She's right, Alek." But I'm already gone, down the stairs as fast as I can.

OoOoOoO

"Her?"

"No."

"But isn't she?"

"Yes. We want the boy."

"Ah. Understood."

"Team one, distract the Uniter. Don't worry if she gets hurt, just don't kill her."

"Roger."

"Teams Two and Three are on the Protector."

"Roger."

"Move out."

The shuffling of bodies is the only reply.

OoOoOoO

I don't stop fleeing until I'm numerous blocks away, in some sort of park. If Alek really wants to talk, he can come and find me. /Without/ that girl.

I sit down on a bench and watch the children in front of me at their game of tennis. Their mothers watch from beside me, one rocking a tiny infant as the two talk. Suddenly, I wonder if Ill ever have that life. Be able to sit and watch my children play while talking to someone.

No. Probably not.

"Hello there. May we sit?" I turn to see a group of black-dressed people.

"You know, I'm really getting tired of this." I glance around again at the calmness of the park. "Let's take this somewhere else."

They seem surprised, at first, at my willingness to go with them, but soon accept it as we walk away, into a secluded area aways away. Finally finding ourselves near an abandoned warehouse and in an empty parking lot, I turn to face the four people. They're all boys, men of about 22-24. I stretch my hands out in front of me.

"Time to get to work."

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: Well look here! We have a... Alek in (potential) distress? What? And a damsel totally in control?**

**Let's have a WOOT for Chloe! You go girl, breaking the mold!**

**I ment to post this this morning, considering that I had it written up, but I fell asleep tying it last night, so I put it of until now. I hope you'll all review while I'm at Band practice!**

**Chloe: I liked this chapter!**

**Alek: I didn't. Your currently scaring the poop out of everyone else, you know.**

**Chloe: That's what's so cool!**

**Me: If anyone notices what didn't happen this chapter that has happened in pretty much EVERY chapter, you'll get a cookie.**

**Alek: Chocolate chip?**

**Me: Maybe, if you review.**

**Alek: So long, people! *runs away***

**OoOoOoO**

**Reviews to early release: 8**


	13. Chapter 13

**TtCiTtW- 13**

**A/N: Within 3 hours, I had all 8 reveiws. Another hour, and I was about half again as many. Either I'm a better writer than I thought, or some of you have way too much time on your hands. I can only hope it's the first.**

**I'm sorry I didn't manage to update yesterday! I had a major colourgaurd practice. We have a big performance tomorrow, so we had extra hours. I did try, though!**

**Alek: Yeah. Even though Missy hurt her hand on a rifle, she kept on writing until she fell asleep over her work.**

**Chloe: She really tried to get it out yesterday, even if it was a minute before midnight.**

**Me: But no matter what, it didn't sound right, it wasn't long enough, it didn't flow, someone was way OOC...**

**Jas: So please, let's forgive poor Sira for updating behind schedule.**

**Full Cast: THIS IS A DISCLAIMER! HEED IT!**

**OoOoOoO**

***Chloe***

Sorry. I misspoke. The men weren't work at all. It was like a really short playdate gone wrong. We play a bit, and then they are lying on the ground crying for their mamas.

Well, they would be crying if they weren't actually unconscious.

I clap my hands together and place them on my hips, signaling a job well done. I look over my work with satisfaction. Jas and Alek have trained me well.

I freeze. The "fight" had helped me blow off steam, allowing me to think with a level head. Now that I think about it, they confronted me head-on with lots of people. That's new. And they weren't trying to kill me really. They sort of seemed to just be tying to parry everything I was throwing at the. We're they- Yes. It was a distraction. I whip my head around. But from what? What would they possibly want to distract me from? I look at the men, studying them. Suddenly a thought occurs to me. I go up to the closest one and drop to my knees. Carefully, I start searching his jacket's pockets checking for any information. It's obvious that the Order sent them, but any extra information is always helpful, no? The man is clean, so I hurry to the next. This one, almost a boy of about 21 or so, is also clean.

Starting to feel like this is a wast of time, I move to the third of the four, an unshaved grizzly with long, stubbly sideburns. His _interesting_ smell hits me as I crouch down next to his still body. Gingerly, I open his jacket and feel for the inside pocket. Finding it, I grasp the zipper and pull. Inside the pocket, I finally find something. An envelope.

Pulling out what feels like slick plastic, I find that it's actually two photos, folded in half. I quickly stand up and unfold them. It takes me a second to realize what they are- copies of the photos from so long ago. Specifically, the ones of Alek and I. It clicks. This is why they were distracting me, or at least trying to. They're after Alek. We may be in a bit of a tizzy relationship wise, but they must know I harbor strong feeling for him, even if I keep on denying it.

I whip around, moving my head in all directions. Where would he be? I start running in the direction my heart tells me.

Towards the penthouse.

**OoOoOoO**

***Alek***

I reach the lobby before anyone else, running at breakneck speed. I push the doors open, ignoring the protests of the people around them. My feet carry me to the area under our balcony. As soon as I see it, I stop.

"Alek! Wait!" I turn slowly, my eyes shadowed, to watch Jas and Kayla draw closer.

"Alek?" Kayla's noticed my face. "What's wrong?" I point.

"Oh." There is blood on the ground, exactly under my window. I point at the window with my other hand.

"She jumped from my window."

"Alek..."

"She _jumped_, Jas."

"I doubt she's suicidal."

"But-"

"Has she ever done something to put herself in danger before?" I stare at her, my mind replaying all of the times she went and did exactly that, and raise an eyebrow. She thinks too. "Don't answer that."

"Alek. I think you're thinking too highly of yourself. I doubt anyone would go try and kill themselves over you. I bet she was just upset and not honking strait so she jumped to get away from you. It's not a severe amount of blood and it looks like she went on. Calm down, Birtish Bishie." As always, Kayla knows how to calm me down. I take a breath.

"Then where is she?"

"I bet she just went in any direction to try and get away," offers Jas.

"Sheesh. This is what ice cream's for," Kayla mutters under her breath, turning towards the entrance of the alley. She freezes. "Uh, guys?"

"What?"

"Who are they?"

"The Order! Jas, Kayla-" My sentence is cut off as a cloth is stuffed in my mouth and my arms restrained. I try to hold my breath and shake the restrained off, but only manage to use up the precious oxygen I had. Eventually, I have to take a breath, looking at my comrade fall around me as I too slip into the night.

**OoOoOoO**

"I think she's finally really waking up! Father! Father!"

I open my eyes to an angel. That's the only thing the creature in front of me could be. His flaxen hair is shoulder length and wavy, his porcelain skin without bump or blemish, his eyes a bright blue. His head shines with a radius of light. I blink. He's still there. I blink again. There. Again. There. After the fifth or sixth blink, I accept that he's real.

"Where am I?"

"Germany!"

"What?!" I shoot up, soft down comforters shifting noisily.

"A group of hikers found you half frozen in the snow. You where airlifted here, to the hospital."

"How'd I get here? I never went to Germany!"

"Did you take to the drink?"

"No. Should a little boy like you really be asking that?"

"Of course! You're my aunt. I have a right to be concerned!"

"Your AUNT?!"

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N:**

**Goodnight.**

**Wish me luck.**

**Cookies to all reviewers.**

**Chocolate chip, sugar, and snicker doodle.**

**Ice cream to those you don't like cookies.**

**OoOoOoO**

_**Reveiws to Early Release: 10**_


	14. Chapter 14

**TtCiTtW-14**

**A/N: This chapter's random fact: Time isn't a constant. That and I don't own.**

**OoOoOoO**

"How can I possibly be your aunt?"

"The database search said that you're Uncle's wife."

"My husband is... gone, child."

"No! Uncle is here! He's fine!" His insistence is cute, and I smile softly.

"I think you've made a mistake, child."

"No, I don't think he has, Meredith." I turn, doubting my ears.

"Excuse-" I find myself looking into the eyes I'd thought I'd lost forever.

"I'm right here."

**OoOoOoO**

***Chloe***

By the time I get back to Jasmine's building, I know the Order's already struck. My conclusion is confirmed, when, in the alley I had jumped into, I find the knife Jas always carried and a note.

_You know who. You know where. You know how long._

Who? Alek, Jas and that girl. That, and not to bring anyone.

Where? The same place it's usually- In the abandoned warehouse where the took Paul the first time they did something like this.

I have an hour. (Wow. It's like I'm repeating and explaining it for someone, like I have an audience or something. That or I'm writing a _really_ bad birthday invitation...)

I feel my face start to turn red and despair and tears well up. Why does everyone have to get hurt because of me, because of what- who- I am? Especially Alek and Jas. I mean, Alek's almost _died_ for me, Jas too. I make fists, trying to channel my anger and think rationally, but my anger only rises until I slowly unclench them, breathing out. I wipe at my eyes, trying to get rid of the salty teardrops without mussing my upmake as much as I can. As I let my hands drop back down to my sides and loosely hang there, determination and fierceness start to grow, fueled by my simmering anger.

No one will die today because of me, or get hurt. Even if I have to die to make that happen.

**OoOoOoO**

***Kayla***

Everyone always talks about being groggy when waking up from being knocked out. It's written that way, too. But it's more of a feeling of absolute disorientation. I can suddenly see walls I've never seen before, with no idea how I've gotten here. It's quite scary, actually. You're awake, then you blink and suddenly somewhere else.

"Alek?" No one answers as I pause for a few moments, waiting for a response. "Alek?"

"Buttercup pansies..." He's not awake. Definitely. But I must say, his accent is even stronger when he's sleeping and it's _really_ cute... I shake my head, dispelling the thought. I could never think of Alek in any way but as a friend. Besides, he already has Chloe.

"Jasmine?"

"Chloe... One Who Is Whole... Valentina..." Her voice suddenly changes, becoming deeper and not her own. "_And the child shall fall into the Oposer's hands, and shall not at birth to see her dam. But until the two youth are together again, the Chosen to the world may not tend." _O-Kay... She's sprouting random prophecies... I hope no one who isn't supposed to hear that is nearby.

"One's awake, and we've another prophecy." Too late. A few seconds pass, then there are footsteps. My breath catches before my chin is roughly grabbed and yanked up, making me gasp as my eyes meet cold, stormy blue-grey orbs that freeze my core.

"What have we here?" He tilts his head, an easy smile on his face, looking at me like I was a piece of meat at the supermarket.

"It's sort of cute. Too bad she's not human..." He looks at me a bit longer, before reaching up to lightly feel my beanie. By breathing stops, and he smiles even more. "Looks like you have something under here you don't want revealed. Shall we have a look?" Panic, fear, the need to escape... He pulls off the beanie, revealing my ears.

There is obvious shock in his eyes and its written on his face. Alek's earlier statement of his thoughts on me being the only one with ears (And a tail. He didn't really know that, though.) comes bak to me. I guess he's probably right. It kills a bit of hope in my chest. I had been wishing that just maybe there would be another Mai like me, one with... _extras_.

The man recovers from his momentary surprise, a grin more evil than any yet crosses his hard face.

"I think we'll have a little fun, kitty."

**OoOoOoO**

***Valentina***

The supermarket is crowded, probably because of the sale that's going on. Buy one medium frozen pizza, get another half off. If there's any left after I've gotten everything on my list, I'll grab a few.

I turn down the aisle for frozen delicacies. We had run out of vanilla ice cream for some reason. Probably broken heart syndrome.

I look at the selection, trying to decide what type to get. Besides the colour, what is the big difference between French Vanilla and plain Vanilla anyway? One wears a beret and talk in an accent? My common sense starts to go back through what Jasmine had told me last time I had asked.

_"While both ice creams use vanilla bean to flavor the cream, the base of the ice cream is where the two differ. French vanilla ice cream has a custard base, which means egg yolks (where the yellow color comes in) are used to produce a thicker, creamier texture. Heating is also involved in a custard base. The classic vanilla ice cream has a base of cream or milk that does not need to be heated." _I stare at the selection for a bit longer, trying to remember which we liked better.

"She likes French Vanilla." I don't even hear the basket's clatter on the floor.

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: Wanna know more about that difference? Read more: 2010/07/20/the-difference-between-vanilla-and-french-vanilla/#ixzz29oa9AXX9**

**Alek: *shakes head* You're desperate, aren't you.**

**Chloe: When isn't she?**

**Jas: Oh be nice, Chloe.**

**Chloe: I ****_am_****.**

**Me: Enough, enough. I'm going to sleeeep...**

**Alek: We sort of stole all of our pillows...**

**Me: Noooooooooo! *passes out***

**Kayla: Review!**

**OoOoOoO**

**_Reviews to early release: 10_**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!**

** OH MY GOSH IM SO SORRY! I've completely been postponing anything fanfiction because of some personal reasons, but now I'm really regretting it. I wish I had focused more on this.**

**At least it's not quite the longest gap...**

**-_-"**

**What was different about 14? It seems like less people reviewed, or even viewed it. Am I just getting repetitive and boring? Do I need to just go in and kill someone, or something?**

**Chloe: *points at Alek* Kill that thing!**

**Alek: You only say that because you ****_like_**** this thing!**

**Jas: You know you just called yourself a thing, right?**

**Alek: I know!**

**Chloe: DISCLAIMER: Sira doesn't own. She never will, unless they offer the rights to her by some wonderful feat of magic.**

**Me: ON WITH THE BANANAS!**

**OoOoOoO**

***Chloe***

I arrive at the warehouse with quarter of an hour to spare. I could have actually gotten there much faster, but I decided to go back to the apartment and fetch some gear. A bulletproof vest now graces my slim figure and many knifes lie hidden on my body.

I approach the building with caution, not wanted to spring any hidden traps or alert any guards to my presence. I think back on all of my experiences here. Where are the windows placed? There. There. And where is that one- oh right. There. As I flick my eyes to each window, I take note of the black-clad guards that the Order has set.

He moves down that area, then up that alley, while she patrols directly to the left of the entrance. Four people on the roof are patrolling in a circle-encompassed-hourglass formation, two going in the circle, two making the hourglass. There's a Gaurd there. And another there. One more on that platform. I scan the building, picking out every single Order member and their path. Jasmine and Alek have taught me well. Jas... Alek... Neither would be very happy about me doing this. Alek'll probably yell at me for being foolish and Jas'll try to explain that for some bogus reason, I'm more important than her. I bet that other girl's here too. Who is she? Did I misread the situation, act too quickly? I sigh, and shake my head. I need to get in and get them out. I stand up, slowly, to creep around to the broken window on the back right side. The Gaurd there never quite gets around far enough to watch it carefully. If I time it correctly, I should be able to slip in.

Suddenly, I hear something behind me and I freeze.

"What have we here? Ah, little miss Uniter." It's a woman's voice, sneering and harsh. "Let's go quietly, okay?" _There's only one... I can beat her. _I spin around and crouch down into a defensive position.

"Oh look, the beast's having second thoughts! It thinks its more important than her friends." A new voice, low and scratchy. Laughter follows. I swing my head back and forth, my eyes widening as more and more Order members seemingly appear from nowhere.

A knife appears in front of my eyes, causing me to freeze and stare at the cold metal. "Let's go inside, shall we? I don't think that the boss would like it if the Uniter got cold." I get halfway through a slow nod before there's a sharp pain on the back of my head, and blackness encompasses my vision.

**OoOoOoO**

***Kayla***

In the few seconds before the door closes, I can see Alek bolt straight up.

"Chloe!" He whispers. I see Jasmine shift and wake up.

"Wha...?" I watch her face scrunch up and look around. But, just as her eyes catch mine, the door shuts, leaving me alone with the man with the blue-grey eyes, in the dark. He removes his hand from my mouth and locks the door, the fateful sound ringing in my ears, then removes his other hand from my arms.

"Scream all you want. It's soundproof in here. And if you want to try to escape, there is only that one door and this is the only key." I can tell by the sound of cloth shifting on cloth that he's holding something up. "There are guards outside, too, so if you manage to get the key, unlock that door, and get out, they will just catch you again. Got that, Kitty?"

I nod, too frightened to scream or say a word.

"Good." There is more shifting as he puts they key away. He moves back towards the door a bit and fumbles along the wall. After a second, he finds what he's looking for. There is a click and a large industrial light flickers on, illuminating the room from the center.

Directly below the light is the large, metal table they use when examining pets at a veterinarian's office. It's the kind that can tilt back and forth and the hight is adjustable. The only difference is there are four metal restraints positioned near the corners, as if waiting for- I gulp- me. Along the walls lie both modern medical equipment and tools that I can only recognize from my history textbooks.

"We were only going to have Ms. King join us in here, but I guess you're just a bit lucky. Or unlucky. Your pick." Unlucky. Definitely unlucky. "Why don't you come over here, now." I don't move, frozen in place.

"Now." His voice is colder, more forceful. I'm still frozen. My eyes glaze over in fear, blurring them and making it impossible to see anything. There's the sound of shifting, and of something being picked up off of a counter. Then, a sharp, shocking pain on my back, making me stumble forward. I whip my head around. The man's holding a picana, a tool for shock torture. I follow the wire coming from it to the control box on the counter, another man sitting silently beside it, one hand on a dial. "I'll repeat myself. Go to the table."

Shivering with fear, I go to the table. It's tilted, and lowered as far as it'll go, as if to make it as simple as lying down to become fastened. I stop an inch from the cold metal, staring at it.

"Turn around." His voice holds no room for question, but even if it did, the sound of the picana's arcing is enough to make me obey. As soon as I do, the man who had been sitting with the control box jumps upend pushes me on the table. I feel my head hit just as a cold ring tightens around my ankle. That's when I finally let out a scream. The man's eyes gleam.

"I like it when they scream. Kitty, we're about to get to know each other quite well, so how about I tell you my name?" He pauses for a moment, the room silent but for the shuffling of cloth as his assistant closes and tightens the bonds, then sawing and the /snap!/ of the rope bonds around my wists breaking. "No. Actually, I think I won't tell you. It wouldn't be pleasant knowing that a beast like you knew my name."

The grey-blue eyes turn into a hurricane, the last restraint clicks and the sound of arcing returns, and I close my eyes to what's coming next.

**OoOoOoO**

***Jasmine***

"Chloe!" Alek's frantic whisper wakes me up. I blink to see him sitting straight up.

"Wha...?" I start, blinking more and looking around. Suddenly, my eyes meet Kayla's. Her orbs scream out with fright, her mouth covered and arms restrained by a large dark haired man. "Kayla!"

The door closes and there is the harsh sound of a lock being closed. Alek looks at me.

"What about Kayla?" He looks around. "She's probably here some-" We hear a scream, and he stops. It's extremely faint, any normal human wouldn't be able to pick it up. It stops and we wit in silence for a second two, then there is another scream.

"Alek... They have Kayla. In that room. And they're... _doing_ things." They must have 'soundproofed' the room. Unless you have the right contacts, it not possible to get real soundproofing. All the suppliers are Mai.

"Jas, what if she's really- And they-" We both pale.

"Oi! Shush up down there!" There's the clomping of boots, then a grunt from Alek as he's kicked in the stomach. He falls back to the ground, his head bouncing on the hard concrete of the floor. "You're prisoners, not vacationers!"

His footsteps retreat, probably to go back to his post. Alek and I stare at each other, lying down. My face is cool on the hard floor.

_'Where are we?'_ Alek mouths. I shrug.

_'That warehouse from before?' _I mouth back, guessing

'_Can you get out of your ropes?'_ I shake my head. They're typed expertly and tightly.

'_Do you know why we're here?'_

'_We're Mai, isn't that enough?'_ I raise an eyebrow at his remark.

'_No, there's probably something more. Why would they...' _Our gazes meet and we know exactly why. Chloe. They want Chloe.

Kayla screams again.

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: Don't kill me, don't kill me!**

**Alek: Why shouldn't we? You left us passed out in a warehouse for THREE MONTHS.**

**Jas: Who knows how many prophecies I spouted!**

**Me: Sorry, Sorry... I made this one longer!**

**Chloe: Do you think we CARE? Go write the next one, you failure.**

**Me: *hobbles off* I'll update again this weekend. Sorry... **


	16. Chapter 16

TtCiTtW-16

**A/N: Here we are! As promised, another update!**

**Alek: For once, you actually do as you say!**

**Chloe: Amazing, right?**

**Me: Stop it, you two.**

**Alek: Uh... No. I don't think I will. *le smirk***

**Me: DISCLAIMER: I don't own these buffoons. At all. Nuh uh. Nothing.**

**Chloe and Alek: *look at each other* ON WITH THE BANANAS!**

**Jas: Is that out new catchphrase or something?**

**Me: No. This is: BANANAS, AWAY!**

**OoOoOoO**

***Alek***

For the first time since being jolted awake by an intense fear for Chloe, I look around my surroundings. It's definitely the bloody warehouse the bloody Order seems to bloody like. (See what I did there? That was pretty good. No? Sorry. 'Bit morbid to you American folk, I suppose...) The walls are still cold and foreboding and they make every sound echo just a bit. Jas and I are in a rather open area near one of the corners of the building, next to one of the large support pillars. I'm slightly propped up against said column. Jas half sits, half lies next to me, partly against the other face of the square concrete pillar. Every time there is a scream, loud moan, or other sound from the small room where Kayla is, she flinches visibly.

It's not very many screams later when a heaping mass is thrown down next to us. It only takes about half a second to find and recognize the red-blonde hair.

"Chloe!" shouts Jas, who tries to make her way over to Chloe's still body. Every time she moves, she flinches a little, and I can tell her wound is hurting her. I just stare at the black leather jacket Chloe's wearing, rage and bloodlust building up inside. They would all die for what they've done to my Chloe.

Wait- My Chloe? When did I gain possession over her? We aren't together** ((A/N: Yet, Alek. Yet. You're not officially together ****_yet_****. And really, at this point the only thing missing is an official announcement of together-ness)),** so I shouldn't even have that feeling.

"She's fine. Don't worry your little tails off." A tall woman stands over us, smirking. "She knew exactly what was going to happen. Get out. I'm one of the only people here who will keep the deal. But hurry. I don't know when my mind'll change." She licks her lips greedily. "We get payed the same either way."

"Boys!" The two men who'd seconds before been guarding us from a bit away, appear behind us. One grabs Jas, first crushing her leg under his boot, than lifting her by that leg and carrying her over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. The other picks up my arm, choosing to drag me along. He pulls, hard, and the socket tries to resist the need to pop out. Then, I feel it dislocate, the pain making my head shoot out in a silent gasp, and fire runs up and into the empty socket.

"Chloe! _Chloe_!" Jas stretches her arms towards the still body, as if she could grab the air and pull herself towards her, crying in both desperation and pain. However, all I can do is stare at the high ceiling, following the piping with dull eyes. Chloe, my Chloe, is being left in the hands of the Order, alone, because Jas and I were captured. Kayla is here because she followed me, trusting me.

Two of the people I hold most dear are being left here, alone and in danger, and there's not one thing I can do about it.

And it's my fault.

**OoOoOoO**

***Kayla***

Pain can usually be defined into two different categories. The first a small white konpeito of harsh and intense agony, it's small spikes seeking to make as much discomfort as possible, and the second a red, artificial cherry flavored, misery-ridden long sheet of taffy that gets thinner and thinner as you get closer to its edge. I don't like artificial cherry, nor do white konpeito appeal to me, though their flavor is supposedly identical to any other flavor of the confection. They just taste so harsh on the tongue to me, with no color to soften them. Sure, there are many subdivisions and medium tones, some of which neither quite fit here or there, but those two basic categories have always stood away from any crashing waves of doubt in my mind's sea like large pillars of red light.

But what I feel now is no middle tone. It's neither a konpeito nor a piece of taffy. It's like the numbness of sleep but it's painful. Painful numbness. It makes sense here, in the storm that dominates my mind.

I can't hear anything else in the silence that frames my ears but the beating of my own heart, fast and harsh. Sometimes, a different wave of silence sounds, a silence I think once was my scream. Sometimes, I can't quite find the mouth it comes from, there are too many openings along my body, allowing air, blood and foreign objects in and out. Round things, sharp things, large things, thin things, things that burn, things that shock, things that make a searing sensation that travels in waves from their point of insertion all make their way in and out of these holes and slits and cuts.

At some point, my clothing was stripped off of me, leaving me bare and open to the eyes. It also allowed more... access to me. My stomach and chest were no longer protected by whatever resistance the thin cloth of my shirt provided and my legs no longer had its cotton jean armor. Though really, I think it was done more for humiliation than anything.

My vision is faded, blurry. I can't see anything but fuzzy blocks of drab colors that always seem to shake slightly or jerk around. I can't see my two attackers, as my head hangs over and off of the slick metal I lie on. It's no longer cold, the blood covering it making its temperature rise to near body heat. It feels warm.

Suddenly, something flashes down to be in front of my eyes, something I can actually focus on. A knife. Oh well, nothing new... It slashes my left eye. With the flare of numbness, half of my vision goes dark, the other side becoming more fuzzy.. Another wave of screaming silence ripples. I blink. Time slows. Something shiny starts to lower. My eye focuses a bit more and I watch the movement of light and shadow across the blade's edge. Then, I see nothing. Nothing but black.

I'm blind.

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: *stretches* I'm done! Done, done, done, and done! There'll be another chapter next weekend. 'Kay! Bai!**

**Alek: *hold up pillow* I think there needs to be a bit more here...**

**Me: Fine. Thank you, Squi-chan for helping me find my way with this chapter! It would have been late if not for you!**

**Chloe: And?**

**Me: Thank you, everyone who reviewed! It makes me happy to know that you guys still love me, even if I'm terrible at keeping due dates.**

**Kayla: Keep talking...**

**Me: I still need a Beta! I need a Beta! C'mon! Someone out there wants to make sure I don't fall behind again! Otherwise, the chapter's will turn into this: ((Real Life Event)) "My little sister and I recently pulled out our copy of Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility. It was really funny to watch my sister shove our character into Gilly's face saying, "ROMANCE! Kiss me, Gilly! Kiss me!" over and over again... "**

**Jas: Please, please, please don't let it get to that!**

**Me: Now I'm done. See you (hopefully) next weekend! *hobbles off***


	17. Chapter 17

**TtCiTtW- 17**

**A/N: I had a bit of a hard time with this chapter -_-". I'm currently writing an original novel and its been taking all of my creative interest. I almost have a girl crush on the main character...**

**Alek: Oh shut it. You know you love us!**

**Me: Yeah...**

**Valentina: *points* There is no way in heaven or earth that any of us belong to that woman. (- Disclaimer)**

**Alek and Jas: BANANAS, AWAY!**

**Me: No. It's OSTRICHES! ALIGHT! Get it right**

**Alek and Jas: *look at each other* OSTRICHES! ALIGHT!**

**Me: *thinks for a moment* No, actually... Lets go back to**

**"ON WITH THE BANANAS!"**

**OoOoOoO**

***Valentina* (Confused? Don't be. Go back to chapter 14.)**

But that's probably because he catches it before it can hit the ground. I look at the black-haired man, my mouth slightly open.

"It's been a while, Valentina."

"Don't call me that. You've never been that formal."

"Sorry, Val."

"Come here, you buffoon." I bring him into a big hug.

"Where's Jazzi?"

"She's at the apartment."

"And she's all okay?"

"She's... alive." He grabs my shoulders, holding me captive both in his eyes and in his arms.

"What do you mean by 'alive'? What happened?"

"Why do you care? You havn't seen here since she was four! You have almost no right to ask that question."

"Ah, but I do! I have every right, seeing as I'm your brother."

"James..."

"Val. Tell me, please." Tears come to my eyes. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to have to talk about Jasmine and what happened.

"James..." He understands.

"Fine. Let's finish your shopping here, drop it all off at my place, then go for some sibling bonding time at the movies. Maybe then you'll feel better." I nod. It won't hurt for me to take just a bit off. I grab the French Vanilla ice cream from the shelf and follow my brother down the aisle.

**OoOoOoO**

***Kayla***

Laughter.

It's all around me, loud and scary. I can't tell where it's coming from. I want to turn my head, to find the source through the blackness, but my muscles won't work and I find myself screaming. I stop moving. My scream, hoarse and crackly, stops a minute or two after.

The laughter still rings.

I feel myself blink, but all it does is cause a sharp konpeito of pain to flare up among the rest of the pain along my body. I moan.

Someone knocks at the door, a complicated pattern being sounded and I hear it unlocked and opened.

"Yes?"

"We have the girl."

"Ahhhh. Thank you. Bring her in and out her on that chair. I want medical attention for this one. She's too much fun to let die."

"Sir." She salutes, or does something like it. Her top rubs against itself.

"Go, quickly. She might die as it is."

"Group R! I need your help on the main floor." I can tell she's talking into a radio by the way a beep sounds before and after her speech, and she seems to be only speaking in one area. Soon after, the sound of booted feet on metal sounds and a group of people arrive. I presume they are the before mentioned Group R. "Platoon A- Take the one on the table to the medical center. I want you to make sure she's _alive_ when I get there and will _stay_ alive. Platoon B- grab the girl from the prisoner area and take her to the Chair. Any questions?" There's a soft question from a man.

"Should we get a stretcher for the one on the table?"

"That'd probably be best. You know where they are?"

"Yes."

"Good. Any more questions? No? Even better. Go!" The sound of feet starts again, many going back out the door. A few- three I think- come towards me.

"Can we unlock these restraints? I doubt it's going to be able to get far."

"Here." Something flies through the air. A key? One of the metal bands opens.

"Got the stretcher. Is she ready for transport?"

"Hold on, we're still trying to get it out of the bindings."

"Look at this! This one has ears!" Said ears twitch. Luckily, the man had left them alone but to draw a DNA sample.

"A tail too!"

"Huh. Never even 'eard of one like that."

"She's all free. Get her up on that stretcher." For sets of strong hands go under my body and start to life. The movement jolts every last inch of my body and causing me to scream again.

"Gently! If she passes out now, she might not wake up!" The upward motion stops, but my body still flames with pain. The brushing of air on my wounds hurts severely.

"Get that stretcher over here. Slide it under." Something heavy appears an inch or so below me. "Hold it steady- we're lowering."

Movement returns, with more pain and screaming and I feel the edge of unconsciousness creep up. Then, I am on something cloth hung between two poles. _The stretcher._

I feel air rush by on our way to the before mentioned medical center. I know there I'll get help, even if its from the enemy, but I can't fight off the edge. Though my vision doesn't change, my ears cut out and I fall into unconsciousness.

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: It's only a day late! Yay!**

**See you in 1.86 weeks!**


	18. Chapter 18

**TtCiTtW- 18**

**A/N: Helllloooooooo! I'm typing this after a fun-filled night of dancing. That's right- Sadies's! I had a lot of fun, and since its late, I think I'll channel it into the story.**

***falls asleep***

**Or at least... I tried to channel it. It didn't work out as well as I hoped...**

**-_-"**

**I in no way, shape, or form own any rights to NLOCK or its affiliates. All I own is a bit of the plot and the OCs. So please, no sue.**

**ON WITH THE BANANAS!**

**OoOoOoO**

***Valentina***

**The movie was a great success. James and I had a great time, and it allowed me to relax, and get away from the stresses of my usual day. He and I laughed at old jokes, making fun of some of our family members. After the movie was over, we decided to return to his apartment to pick up my groceries, then go to my apartment and talk. He also wanted to see Jas.**

**"Val, remember how we used to sneak up and jump on Pops? He used to chortle until his face turned red!"**

**"But your face was always more of a cherry than his!"**

**"Was not!"**

**"Was to!"**

**"I did not get as red as a cherry!"**

**"Nope! You were MORE red than a cherry!"**

**OoOoOoO**

***Alek***

**The two men throw us to the ground before leaving, the clomping of their boots ricocheting around my head in time to the pulsing of my blood, which is loud in my ears and painful in my arms. Jas lets out a low, whining growl as the weight of her body is placed on her crushed leg and her previous wound stretches as her form crumples in on itself. She passes out.**

**I look around us, blinking. We're a bit outside the area around the warehouse, far enough away that we can just see the roof of the building. I flip over, my left arm flopping around a bit, causing me to grit my teeth in pain. With my right hand, I grope around in my pockets, trying to find my phone. Gum... Car keys... Earbuds... Knife... Band aide... Ah! I pull out the device I had been looking for, happy that the Order hadn't found it, or taken it away. Fumbling, I manage to activate the speed dial for Aunt Val, hoping she'll answer. I lay my head on it, unable to hold it to my ear,**

**Ring.**

**Ring.**

**Ring.**

**"Hello?"**

**"Aunt Val!" I groan, as in my excitement, I roll a bit over my left shoulder.**

**"Alek! What's wrong?" She's suddenly sounds very worried.**

**"Help. Please, help us." I grimace, then cough. I start to choke on something that comes up with the cough, before spitting it out. My eyes focus on a thick glob of blood. I blink, slowly.**

**"Alek, where are you? Where's Jas? What happened?"**

**"We're near that bloody warehouse, Jas and I. Track the phone." I cough up a bit more of the sticky red bodily fluid. "They've got Chloe."**

**"No!"**

**"And Kayla."**

**"Why Kayla? Stay there, we have people on the way. How's Jas?"**

**"Kayla... I think she's The One Who is Whole. Got ears. Maybe a tail. Jas is out. She's breathing too quickly. Gasping, really."**

**"We're almost there. Hold on." Her voice gets a bit quiter, as if she's facing away. "Hurry up, James! I don't care a lot about laws right now!"**

**"Uncle James is with you?"**

**"Don't worry about that. Can you hear the cars yet?"**

**"Yes."**

**"Just stay calm. We'll be there in a second."**

**"Hurry. I think Jas just stopped breathing. Wait- No. It's not just Jas. I feel it. All three of them. They're not breathing." I try to cough but nothing comes out, or in.**

**"No, Alek." Aunt Val sounds like she's tearing up. "You're the one who's stopped breathing."**

**OoOoOoO**

**"Alek..."**

**"Come on bud, get up!"**

**"Alek!"**

**"Come on, you cocky bastard. Even I'm up." I squeeze my eyes together, then open them, meeting Jas's large orbs. I smile, my breath sliding around and in between my teeth.**

**"I'm glad you're okay." I blink, thinking for a second. Then, suddenly, I sit up, groaning, but frantic. "Where's Chloe? Tell me, where is she?"**

**"Alek! Lie down. You just woke up. You can't be doing this." I glare at her, but allow her to lower me down onto the bed I'm laying in. As soon as Im all the way down, I grab her arms, pulling her down close.**

**"Where. Is. She? Now!" I can barely control myself. Jas flinches.**

**"Both of the girls are in surgery. You can't see them, even if we let you out of that bed, which we will not. Please let go of Jasmine. You're hurting her, and she's already in quite a bit of pain."**

**"Sorry, Aunt Val." I release Jasmine. "Sorry Jas."**

**OoOoOoO**

***Marci* (Go waaaaaaaay back to ch. 3.)**

**"She's flatlining again. Get ready."**

**"Clear!"**

**"I've got a heartbeat. It's faint. Keep them ready."**

**"Do you think she'll last this one?"**

**"We lost her! Again!"**

**"Clear!"**

**"She's steady. We need another AB-M hooked up. Her blood pressure's dropping."**

**"She's going to make it. She's going to make it!"**

**"Marci, go out and tell them." I nod, stepping away from the operating area. We had almost lost the girl six times. Six times. Any normal human would be dead. Most Mai, too. Even the Uniter herself would have had to use one of her lives. I step out of the doors, removing my gloves.**

**"Mrs. Valentina?"**

**"She's in with Alek. Shall I call her?"**

**"Yes." I wait for a bit, tapping my foot in impatience. "Sandri? Get me some water, please. And an Advil." My friends leaves, smiling back at me reassuringly.**

**"You wanted to see me, Doctor Marci?"**

**"Ms. Kayla will come out of this alive. Thank Bastet that she was already receiving life support from the Order when we found her. Do you have any idea why she was like that?"**

**"Apparently, she was 'too much fun to let die.'"**

**"I see. Well. She'll be out of surgery and into recovery in about an hour and a half. I don't have any news on Chloe." The lady in front of me nods, and I smile, then we both turn and leave.**

**OoOoOoO**

***Simone***

**"Did we manage to kill her?"**

**"Not quite. Got pretty damn close, though."**

**"Oh? And how does that make me happy?"**

**"She'll probably die before they can do anything. The Chair is pretty powerful."**

**"I know. I know that very well."**

**"Shall we try to get her back?"**

**"No. Lay low. Let them start guessing as to what we're planning. We don't want them sending the Uniter away."**

**"Understood. Check your email. My latest message, under the encryption, is the latest prophecy we've gotten." I open my laptop and get the email.**

**"I see. I guess it's time this place had a nursery, eh?"**

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: *puppy dog eyes* Review?**


	19. Chapter 19

**TtCiTtW-19**

**A/N: Sooo... I thought I'd posted this about 3 and a half months ago, for the one-year anniversary of this story. Sorry! After then, I had some medical, school and social problems come up, so I didn't check up until just this past few days.**

**But here I am, with a belated anniversary present! Can you believe it's been over a year? It's hard to think about...**

**Warning: Time Skips! And some subtle implying. I really don't need to warn of anything, actually...**

**SUPER BAGEL MAN!**

**OoOoOoO**

***Jasmine***

I lift my arm up and over my head, the limb following an arced path towards my outstretched leg. As my hand nears my foot, I feel the familiar pull and tightening of the wound Zane had given me, however I no longer cry out or even bite my lip in pain. In the month and a half since our capture and rescue from the Order, my leg and side have healed quite nicely. They still give me bits of pain here or there, and my side will hold a scar probably until I die, but I'm in relatively good condition.

"Don't push yourself, Jas." My mother's gentle warning startles me and I look up, wide-eyed, at the sofa. Our pride leader sits with her legs crossed and shoulders covered by a fringed black shawl; a mug of something steaming rests in her hands. Coffee? Maybe tea? I sniff, trying to read the smell the beverage puts off. Definitely tea- peppermint I beleive.

"I'm fine, Mom. I've done the stretch numerous times. Watch." In my haste to show her, I move too fast and stretch just in the right- well, wrong- direction, causing my wound to twist; this time, a lance of white pain shoots up my side, resulting in me gasping and falling forward into myself.

"Jasmine!" A bit of lovely smelling liquid falls on the floor in front of me. In her worry, getting up quickly, my mother had spilt some of her tea.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just moved to fast in just the wrong way." She pauses, giving me a look. I just smile back and remove stray hairs from my mouth. It's quiet as we both return to our previous positions.

"Jas-"

"I said _I'm fine._-"

"Not that. Listen." I do, and a grin makes its way across my face, along with the barest traces of a blush. A giggle works its way out of my mouth, a sound not heard in quite a while.

"We'll isn't that cute! Someone's having a bit of fun," I whisper, now worried we'd disturb the two.

"Are they really that close? I mean, I knew they'd made up after he did that, but..."

"You're kidding me, right? The whole thing brought them closer than ever. This close, apparently."

"If you say so. Is it really okay for her to be doing, well... That?"

"She's fine. She healed right up when she was out. Probably the best in shape aside from you. Furthermore, do you think Alek'd do anything that could possibly hurt her? I doubt it." She nods at my answer, whispering something under her breath. "What?"

"Nothing." Suddenly, there's the closing of a door, so quiet no human could possibly have heard it, and a soft shuffling sound, hesitant and stumbling.

"Do you hear what I hear?" Kayla's voice, still raspy after all this time, comes from behind me, laughter and a bit of mischief evident in her tone. I turn, looking at her, her light smile, her messy hair, her closed eyes, and her hand, trembling pressed against the wall. She lifts her leg to step again, but it's to close to the wall; I anticipate her fall before it happens and I am there, catching her before she can hurt herself.

"You're not supposed to be up," I whisper. She pushes away from me and stands on her own, teetering a bit. Her eyelids flutter sightlessly, reveling glimpses of the dead eyes beneath, and guilt settles in a lump, deep in my stomach.

"To quote you, _I'm fine._ The only reason you keep me in bed is that you don't want to watch me all the time. I may be blind, but I'm not helpless." One of her ears twitches in irritation. I open my mouth to argue, but my mother beats me to it.

"We know you're not helpless, Kayla, but you really should be in bed. We'd say the same thing even if you could see. You're trembling and I'm pretty sure you're having a hard time standing."

"Fine. Let me sit on the couch, then. I'm not going back into that room." Mother sighs in response, and scoots a bit to make some more room. "Thank you."

After I guide her to the couch and sit her down, Kayla immediately picks up the remote control for the television. "I hope you don't mind, but I need some stimulus. I promise there'll be limited language on anything I watch. You have Dish, right?"

"Sure. Jus keep it down so that those two-"

"They won't hear a peep."

"Fine then." I pause, before getting up, back off the floor. "Do you want some tea?"

"Nah. I am all good." She scowls. "What time is it?"

"Sometime after 8 or so."

"Darn it! Looks like it'll have to be Super Bagel Man for a while, 'cause Fullmetal Alchemist doesn't come on until-" she raises her fist, slowly lowering as she whisper-shouts "-ONE IN THE MORNING!"

I raise an eyebrow at her, forgetting for a second she can't see my looks before saying, "O-Kay..."

Kayla shrugs. "My little sister an I used to do it, before, ya know, she..." She lets her sentence trail off, a small frown replacing her smile.

"What?"

"She died a few years ago in a fire. It happened while she was at school. Only 10 years old. Got trapped under a beam after she went to rescue some girls from the second floor bathrooms."

"Oh. I'm sorry..."

Kayla sniffs, her ears drooping. "Yeah... I still have trouble with it. I mean, if she had stayed home like she wanted to that day, she would be here now. I was the one who made her go to school. Wouldn't take 'I don't feel right about going' as an excuse. Thought it was because of the test she had that day."

"It's not your fault." She snorts at my comment, shaking her head.

"It _is_ my fault, though I bet she thinks of me as totally innocent."

"Kayla, your mother-" Kayla shakes her head as my mother starts her sentance.

"I don't want to have any more conversation on it. Super Bagel Man is about to start. Shhhhhhhh!" She beckons for the two of us to be quiet. I turn to look at the screen, almost groaning when a large plain bagel with whipped cream cheese hair, wearing a long cape and sporting cartoon eyes appears on the screen. A song begins to play, jolly and upbeat, talking about the foods of Supermarket City and their hero, Super Bagel Man; Kayla sings along, not caring she can't see the screen. Although weird it's captivating and I find myself getting lost in the show.

I'm also a bit hungry. I want a bagel...

**OoOoOoO**

***Alek***

**(4 Weeks Later)**

Doors slam as people run around in the balls outside my door, waking me up from my light sleep. I blink my eyes, blurry shapes making their way into my vision. I turn my head back and forth, blinking to try and clear the last bits of sleep from my eyes. My arms suddenly feel empty and I look down, finding that there's only a faint impression of a body on the mattress. Whoever- no, Chloe hadn't been in the bed for a bit. I sit up, stretching a bit, before swinging my legs up and off of the bed and into the floor, pulling the blankets off as I go. There's the sound of running water in the bathroom down the hall, and I swear I can also hear the fridge open, with the smell of vanilla ice cream leaking out. I frown, shooting a glance towards the clock on my bedside table. 6:21AM. I groan. Isn't it a bit early for ice cream?

I open my door and enter into the hallway of the apartment, closing the portal quietly behind me. As I make my way towards the bathroom, I train my ears on the sounds of whoever's inside. Their breathing is slightly erratic, with hiccuping thrown in here or there and their heart is pounding. As I turn the corner, I see the door is open, and a slightly disheveled Chloe stands inside, looking at something in her hand. Her other hand holds a piece of paper and is clutched to her mouth.

"Jas," she breaths, before shouting, "Jasmine!"

Hurried footsteps follow her call, coming from the direction of the kitchen. Soon, the form of my 'cousin' rushes past me and into the small room. After giving me an unreadable look to answer my confused one, she shoes me with a hand and closes the door. I tilt my head, more confused than ever, and knock on the door.

"Not now, Alek. To use the other one," hisses Jas. I think I can hear Chloe start to cry.

"Is something wrong? Is Chloe in pain?"

"Nothing, Alek. Just, not right now."

"Fine. Should I go get Aunt Val for you?"

There's a pause, and a coughing-sob from Chloe, before, "Yes. You should do that. She's with Kayla."

I turn and walk back towards my room, flinching as the barest trace of sunlight flickers in through a window, blinding me for a second. As I make my way towards Kayla's room, I watch the sun trace the buildings around us as it slowly rises, making a beautiful sunrise.

"Aunt Val?" I pause in the doorframe of Kayla's room, avoiding eye contact with the individual sitting on her bed.

"Ah, Alek." Valentina turns to look at Kayla. "What's he wearing, Kayla?"

"Come on, Aunt Val. How's she supposed to know that?"

"Hush." Valentina shushes me forcefully, giving me her look, before turning back to Kayla. Kayla looks up from her lap, her eyes open and cloudy.

"Basketball shorts and an old T-shirt." I stare at her, then down at myself, checking to see if she's right. (Well don't judge! I'm not a girl- I don't know what the heck I'm wearing!)

"Kayla-"

"Shapes. I can see shapes, Alek. Everything's in black and white, but if I look, I can see shapes." I breath out, a relieved breath, and walk over to hug the girl.

"Kay... Kay that's amazing. I didn't- We never-"

"I know. No one expected me to ever see anything again." She looks up at Aunt Val. "Maybe this is the "placing of the veil" you were reading last week."

"It might be. That prophecy speaks of three different veils, so it might be one of them."

"Sorry to interrupt, but Jas and Chloe need you in the far bathroom, Aunt Val." She gives me a puzzled look before exiting the room. I walk towards Kayla, tugging on my shirt a bit. "Kay?"

"Hm?" She looks up at me, eyes fluttering as if she can't decide wether to have them open or closed.

"Do you know what could possible have Chloe in hysterics like this?"

"I have no context. Alek-kun, what are you talking about?"

"Chloe was in the bathroom looking at something and she seemed really upset." At that, Kayla grins.

"No. I have _no idea_ what's wrong. Don't worry, my British Bishie. I'm sure she'll tell you herself eventually."

"I hope it's nothing bad."

"Depends on how you look at it." Aunt Val's voice comes from behind me. I turn, a bit startled. Behind her is Chloe, eyes a bit red. She smiles at me.

"Alek... "

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: Muahahahaha! you'll never know what she was toing to say!**

**Alek: Until, of course, you update.**

**Me: That is true... On an entirely different note, This chapter's dedicated to my english teacher. Fight on, sensei! It's also the longest chapter yet!**

**Kayla: Heey! I'm the one who's supposed to use the references no one gets!**

**Alek: *shakes head* Missy's getting ahead of herself again. Looks like we'll have to pull ****_them_**** out of storage!**

**Chloe: *grins* It's pillow time!**

**Me: Nooooooooooooooooooo!**


	20. Chapter 20

**TtCiTtW-20**

**A/N: School's out! *dances around* Time for Ren Faires, anime conventions, and- summer homework...**

**But, now I have a bit more time to play and write around! Expect more updates :3**

**Disclaimer: Uh... I don't own anything but the plot, and my OCs.**

**Ya know, it's really creepy when random prophecies you made all start lining up in ways you didn't expect, even as the one who wrote them. Really creepy.**

**Oh... And Kayla's voicemail is almost an exact replica of my own. I'm a pretty random person, in real life.**

**OoOoOoO**

_"And the child shall fall into the Oposer's hands, and shall not at birth to see her dam. But until the two youth are together again, the Chosen to the world may not tend."_

_~From a stone tablet found in the ruins of a temple buried in the Egyptian desert. Date Unkown._

**OoOoOoO**

***3rd Person***

The next few months were busy, to say the least.

Kayla's sight grew less fuzzy, and she went around with her eyes wide open, not caring about anyone's feelings on the matter. It was often remarked that she seemed sort of out of reality at times. Valentina and Kayla had a lot of private talks for a while, of which no one made any comment; Valentina was truly the queen of glares. After three months, it was announced that Kayla was the One Who is Whole, and things took a whole new turn.

Chloe's mother was pronounced missing by both human and Mai investigators a week after Chloe's announcement. She became extremely upset and fearful and the other four in the penthouse worried about her stress levels. However, an anonymous note arrived a few days later. In it was a picture of Meredith sleeping in a hospital bed along with two messages-one handwritten from Meredith herself and another typed with no name attached- both saying she was fine and not to worry. Chloe had stared at the note a long time, running her fingers over the lettering until-suddenly- she stopped, and smiled. "It's true," she said, and everyone dropped the subject.

Alek and Jasmine went back to school, and the basketball team did an amazing about-face from last to first in their section. Both passed their classes. Chloe and Kayla stayed in the penthouse and took classes online through a local junior college. The high school was given papers excusing the two from the rest of the year, independent study was activated, and their remaining course work and finals were sent to them. They also both passed.

Summer started, and potential colleges were looked into. The four youths went on balcony picnics, to let Chloe and Kayla feel the direct sunlight. It was discovered that if you scratched behind Kayla's ears, she would start to purr, and if you lay against Chloe's tummy, you could hear a heartbeat. But not _her_ heartbeat, per say.

The words said 8 months before- "Alek, I'm pregnant."- had made a huge impact on their lives and the world around them. After Alek had finally started breathing again, and Chloe had stopped blushing, a flurry of activity had ensued that had barely slowed down over the weeks. Calls were made, to doctors, and pride leaders. After getting permission from Valentina, the girls sat in front of blank blueprints and a computer and set to designing a room for the child. The process of making the actual plan, then instigating it was woven into their daily schedule, around doctor visits and school, then summer life. Chloe had the hardest time of them all. She suddenly found herself with someone at her elbow all the time, either Kayla, a nurse or that little Doctor Marci and her silent protector themselves, trying to help her even walk down the hallway. After two weeks she told them that if she ever really _needed_ their help, she'd tell them.

Well, she needed their help now. Almost ready to pop, the poor pregnant Mai could no longer even waddle in a straight line through the apartment. Her steps were heavy, and she panted as she went, leaning on walls, or people around her. Most of her time was spent in the family room, her bed or the extra room. That extra room, usually left as a guest room, hadn't stayed that way for long, as it was turned into a makeshift doctor's office three weeks after the announcement. Currently, it was set up in case Chloe went into labor, which was expected to be soon.

"Lucky thing," muttered Marci sarcastically to her charge, "You being pregnant in the summer and all. Reeeeeaaaallly good for you and the baby."

"Or the electric bills. One or the other," Valentina responded.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," Chloe shot back, before muttering under her breath, "Not that I'm too upset about it either."

"It's no problem, Chloe. As long as you're safe."

Marci swore, and Sandri put a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. At the smaller girl's look, the warrior offered a soft smile. The doctor turned back forward and took a deep breath. "I just wish that we could get an ultrasound on you. It'd help us know so much more. It's strange- we've never encountered a problem before..."

"It's as She wills." Valentina shook her head. "It's hard to even hear a heartbeat from her. You have to lay down on her stomach."

"Sometimes it sounds strange, too. I wish I could know more!"

"Calm down, you two. It was done for centuries without modern equipment and technology. I'm sure everything'll be fine." Chloe tried to get them down to Earth, rubbing her full womb lovingly.

"Not if there's twins. Then, we might have a problem."

"I won't have twins. Even you said that twins are really rare."

"Yes, because they don't usually survive until the birth, or through it. And sometimes the mother..."

"You know," Valentina started, "Alek is a twin."

The room went still, and silent. Then Chloe grinned.

"See? It can be done, it /has/ been done. Alek's such a wimp; of he can do it then if I have twins they'll definitely be able to get out just perfect."

"I don't think you'd be strong enough to get them out alive, and that's the doctor in my speaking."

"We'll, there won't be twins over here, so stop worrying. On the topic, though, what are the stats on triplets?"

Valentina had to think for a moment, tapping her chin slowly before taking a dip of peppermint tea. "I can't think if one instance where they all survived. How about you, Marci?"

She shook her head. "I don't remember."

Suddenly a new voice entered the conversation- Sandri's. Chloe jumped when she started speaking, having never heard her voice before. "There have been a few triplets that have had two babies survive, or one, or the babies survive but the mother does not, but only once that we know of did they all survive past birth. Two of the infants died a few weeks later."

"That doesn't really count, then."

Sandri nodded her head to the side, having returned to her normal silent self. Marci sighed and got off of the couch, Sandri straitening behind her.

"I'm going to go out and talk to Jasmine on the balcony."

"Sounds good," affirmed Valentina.

"Hey, where's Kayla?"

"Alek took her out to the supermarket. We wanted to see if she could function and blend in."

"What about her ears and tail?"

"Hidden away. Ears in a beanie like she used to wear, and her tail wrapped around her leg. You should call her and see how everything's going."

"Sure." Chloe fished around in the pocketing her sweatpants, fingers groping for her phone, before almost dropping the piece of technology after she'd pulled it out. A second or two passed as she scrolled down her contacts and selected the smiling picture of her friend.

"_Ring... Ring... Ring..._"

"She's not answering."

"Just wait..."

"_Ring..._"

"Hmph."

"_Hello? I caught you in time, right? You haven't left the phone?_"

"No-" Kayla's voice continued over the line.

"_Good, good, good, good_."

"Glad you're-"

"_Um, right. Uh, This... is my phone. Kayla at (***)***-****. I'm on the phone_." There was a pause and Chloe's eyes narrowed. "_Okay, not really. I was, not anymore. So, leave a message after the beep. The real beep._"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Voicemail," she whispered. But the phone continued.

"_And, uh, watch out for the squirrels. They, um, are psychotic and the pidgins do things, so don't feed them. Yup... Super Bagel Man! Yup, bagels are good, really good. I like bagels..._" There was a huge sniffing sound and Chloe pulled away and gave the phone a strange look before shaking her head and returning to the long voicemail. "_I have a cow. Wait, no a cold. I don't like colds. They're not fun. But... at least you can't get it over the phone, right? Right. So... Leave a message, messages are cool, and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can. But I'm pretty lazy, so texting might be better. Or if you know me and my email, email me. I like emails. Emails are cool-_" Chloe ended the call, eyebrow twitching.

"How long is her voicemail?" She asked Valentina, flipping her phone to just text Kayla instead.

"How far'd you get?"

"Emails."

"Oh... You got about half way through. It's another two or three minutes."

"She's so out there, isn't she..."

"You just smile and nod."

"Hmph." Suddenly, Chloe went pale. "Valentina..." Her voice was filled with fear.

"Yes? What is it, Chloe?" The woman leaned forward, worried with the younger girl's sudden change in demeanor.

"My water just broke. It's- It's- It's coming!"

**OoOoOoO**

***Sandri***

I sit outside the door of the makeshift hospital, the room that had just months ago been a guest bedroom, and grip the staff tightly in my hands. My usual silent mask is on, but inside my head thoughts crash against each other in a whirlpool of emotions, fears, and hopes. I glance towards the door beside me, and resettle on the chair. They'd been in there for hours, and it was hard to wait without checking in at least once.

It was made even more difficult by the sounds I'd been hearing from inside.

A gritted moan makes its way through the door and the sound of a sharp swear word follows soon after. Footsteps pound, and then the door is thrust open. Marci, my little Marci, sticks her rays led head out, and with eyes wide whispers, "Call backup. She's having twins."

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: Oh C'mon, you HAD to see it coming. I mean, even the prophecy hints at it in a very unsubtle way!**

**Votes on names, genders? And this time (unlike with Kayla's naming) let's be quick and efficient about it!**

**Ok~ay! Questions, comments, complaints, wishes of a Happy Birthday. Criticism or Praise. Baby names, genders. Put anything you'd like in that little box- Put everything if you'd like. Give characters gifts or tease them for their actions, call me a git or some other name, or even just tell me the best way to each a price of fruit, like a banana. Go anonymous! Enter more than one! Just write something and press the button.**

**Going to try and re-adopt my update schedule! So pay attention!**

**_ Reviews to Early Update: 9 _**

**Otherwise, see you in two weeks!**


	21. Chapter 21

**TtCiTtW-21**

**A/N: This story can legally drink now; It's 21.**

**Wow... I never thought this'd end up so long. It was supposed to be, like, 7 chapters! And look at this! Three times that and we're just getting really into the plot line! Going through the rising action we are!**

***shakes head* Oh well... I've been volunteering a lot lately. It's loads of fun! Quite chipper and doodley-dee. It makes me feel happy to know I'm helping others.**

**Oh, and I love J-pop, so calm down people...**

**I've also started getting sick a lot again. Waaaaaaa~ I hate my weak immune system! I'm coughing and sniffing everywhere, and I've cleared the house of tissue boxes. -_-" I also twisted my ankle up during guard practice. Children, don't end up like Missy...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a Teli company, so no. No ownies.**

**Snifflezzzzzz**

**OoOoOoO**

***Alek***

Kayla and I are on our way home from the supermarket when she gets a call on her cellphone. As her slightly annoying J-pop ringtone sounds from somewhere deep in her purse, I vaguely wonder how Kayla had become such a big fan of Japanese television and music. Up until about 8th grade, she'd been just like any other girl-child her age in tastes and interests, then suddenly, she was all... weird. Well, that'd not the best word for it, but it gets the picture out.

The girl beside me rustles in her purse, looking for the screaming object, muttering curses under her breath. Her hand reaches impossibly far into the bag, her arm in over the elbow. Soon, however, the ringing stops and the call goes to voicemail, and Kayla gives up on finding the electronic device. With a frustrated grunt, the Mai pats her pants before freezing. She sighs, pulling out her phone from her back pocket, staring at it, then placing it back in the denim. At my pointed look says, "If they call again, then I'll answer."

We continue to walk along, silently, looking around us and shifting plastic bags every so often. Kayla points out a strange looking cloud, and we both stop and stare at it for a while. "It's definitely a Cheerio," she whispers.

"No, I think it's a donut," I counter.

"Wait- it has a tail."

"One of those paddle and ball things, then?"

"No idea. Maybe."

We stand there, in the middle of the sidewalk, a soft, warm wind rustling hair, clothing, and bags, and the sounds of people and cars making their way past or around us. It's a companionable non-silence, and I can feel myself relax slightly.

"The clouds are shifting a bit it looks like-" Her phone goes off, then mine. A quick exchanged look of fear and worry happens between us and we quickly half drop half set down the shopping bags we're holding and get out our phones. Seeing the caller as home, I answer it as fast as I can. "Hello? What is it? Is something wrong?"

_"Alek, you two need to come-"_

_"Where's Alek? Where is he?"_ Chloe's voice can be heard interrupting Jasmine's from somewhere behind her. Her voice sounds panicked, and scared. I feel my heart start to contract into a pinpoint of anxiety. "_I want him. I need him. Get him here now!"_

"I've heard what I need to hear. I'm on my way." I end the call, shove the device in my pocket, grab the bags and Kayla's wrist and start running. After three blocks, finally awoken from her surprise, she makes a mewl of protest. I give her a one word answer. "Chloe."

She stops the pathetic sound, and starts to pull ahead, using her One Who is Whole abilities. "Kayla, I can't- go that- fast-" I pant as I try to catch up with her. She slows down by a hair, and we continue on our way, her slightly in front of me, weaving our way through people, trying to stick to side streets and alleys, sometimes even rooftops to try and get there faster without causing too much of a scene.

Racing on, we only hope nothing happens while we're not there.

**OoOoOoO**

***Jasmine***

Kayla lies pitifully on her bed, body folded in on itself in a fetal position, her hands clamped over her cat ears. She trembles at every moan Chloe puts out, even onesthat I can barely hear, groaning as If she was the one giving birth instead of Chloe.

"Kayla? Kayla I have to back. Are you going to be okay?" She barely nods, before tucking herself closer in. I turn to leave, to go back to the hospital room, to go and hold Chloe's hand and give Alek's shoulder squeezes now and then, but Kayla's hand suddenly catches hold of my shirt.

"They're coming." She sounds terrified, her eyes wide and wild.

"Who?"

"They are."

Puzzled, I force her hand to release the cotton clothing. "We know they are. You know they are. We sat in the same row in Health 101."

"No, they're coming," she insists, calming down, her eyes half lidded. Her breathing slows, before she falls into a light sleep.

I take a step back, then another. This is strange. I stand there, staring at the girl for a bit, waiting for something to happen, but nothing does. Making up my mind, I cautiously exit the room, then run lightly down the hall towards the hospital room.

When I get there, there is a flurry of activity. Managing to just squeeze past a rushing nurse into the room, I see Chloe in the middle of her first delivery. A baby is trying to push its way out, crying, and Marci is helping to guide the little tyke. However, when I try to look up at Chloe's face, my view is blocked by the body of another doctor, performing CPR. Chloe's heart monitor has gone dead. A hand flies to my mouth in a silent gasp, and my eyes flick to Alek, who has not moved from his spot in the last 4 hours. He looks petrified, frozen with his eyes trained on Chloe.

Seconds pass. Chloe stays still. Though we all know she has more lives, none of us can let this one go. "Chloe," I whisper, trying to get my emotions out to her, wherever she is. "Please come back." I don't place any hope in my words; I immediately doubt that they'll reach her. Instead, I make my way over to Alek and put an arm around him. He doesn't move or flinch, and his eyes don't even waver or blink. The father is motionless, a statue.

A second wailing brings my attention to Chloe's bottom half, where another baby is trying to force it's way out. The first is being gingerly cared for by one of the nurses.

"The first's a boy."

"Alekzander, then. That's the name Chloe wanted if she had a boy," Alek breaks from his trance to smile at the newborn. Warmth floods into his eyes, wetting the distant look they had had before. As if in response to his voice, a beep sounds from the before-silent machine next to Chloe's head, and a sharp gasp echoes through the room. That cue in turn corresponds with the release of the second baby. Chloe, who had sat almost straight up in shock, plops down in exhaustion.

"Where are my children?" She pants out. I look at Marci who gives me a small shake of her head. For a second, I misunderstand and my throat clenches in grief and sorrow. Then, she clarifies.

"They're as strong as can be expected, them being Mai twins. That being said, they're not in very good health. I regret to inform you that you can't hold them or see them right now. You had a boy and a girl ."

"Alekzander and Sofia," she whispers, a light smile on her face. For a few minutes all is peaceful, Chloe falling into a light sleep, and Alek petting her head gently. I sit and watch them. Then, suddenly, the loud sound of breaking glass and wood barges in through the doorway and shatters the quiet. Screams echo along the halls along with Kayla's voice yelling out, "I told you they were coming!" A baby's shrill cry is accompanied by another scream and then, as suddenly as it had started, the disturbance is gone.

Quickly, throwing myself around the doorframe and down the hall, I stop short in front of a broken window. Among the shards of shattered glass lie a doctor, a nurse, and an empty blanket. "They took the girl," the nurse moans out, before collapsing her head onto the sharp pillow of glass below her; a thin dagger rests between her shoulder blades. "The Order has her."

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: Dun-Dun-Dun!**

**Hey-o! Chapter, chapter, chapter! Hurray!**

**We got our first bad review today! It was interesting, Sir Guest, and I'm sorry for disappointing you. I hope you find a different fanfiction that suits your needs!**

**Thank you all for your name suggestions! Both names were suggestion sent to me either through PMs or reviews. I'm very thankful!**

**I'll see you again soon!**

**Missy Out.**

**_Reviews to Early Update: 10_**

**Otherwise, see you on the 16th!**


	22. An Unexpected Development

TtCiTtW-22

**A/N: *Pokes head out from behind wall* Uh, hello? *dodges flying objects* Sorry! Sorry!**

**So... It's been a while since I last saw you. A long while. It feels like forever.**

**Sorry -_-"**

**And thank you, Aurein. Your review made me think, instead of letting the characters write their own parts.**

**I created a new story, "Behind the Glass: A Look Into the Secrets of TtCiTtW." It only has one chapter up, currently, but it will have extras and information about this story. Right now, only an explanation of the prophecies given is in there. Please give it a look and review it with information or scenes you want to see!**

**Chloe: Like the time Kayla tried to do my hair- when she was still fully blind.**

**Alek: Or the time Chloe hid all of my shirts in her bottom drawer and I was walking around half-naked for a week.**

**Jas: That was funny. *giggles* You got in so much trouble around the apartment.**

**Me: Good children, keep debouching the secret parts I cut from all the chapters... Just don't mention THAT one.**

**Meredith: Don't worry. They'd much rather have you tell everyone about what I'm doing over in Germany!**

**Me: As long as you don't ruin my pillows, go ahead.**

**Chloe: Too late!**

**Random Voice: Missy no own. NOW! ON WITH THE MADNESS!**

**Me: Oh, and Happy New Year!**

**OoOoOoO**

***Paul***

It was during dinner when she got the text. Immediately, in the middle of the small Chinese restaurant we were in, Amy stood up, did a little happy dance, sat down, and signaled for a waiter.

"What happened?"

"Chloe's son was born. Jasmine says she wants to see us."

"A boy? You guessed wrong. What's his name?"

"Alekzander."

"That's a cool name."

"It's sweet." The waiter she had signaled arrived and with a few short sentences, all of our uneaten food was boxed and our bill settled. "Ready?"

"Sure."

**OoOoOoO**

***Jasmine***

I catch Amy and Paul before they can enter the makeshift hospital.

"Where's the child? Where's Chloe?" Amy almost bounces around, excited.

I sigh. This was going to be hard to explain. "Chloe didn't have just a son."

"What do you mean?"

"She had twins."

"Ooooh! More little children!" Amy grabs Paul's hand, almost dragging him towards the hallway. I stop them quickly, shaking my head.

"No. Alekzander's younger twin, Sofia, was kidnapped by the Order. Chloe... Didn't take it well. She's convinced it was all a hallucination and that Sofie doesn't exist. We're going to try and keep it that way. Marci is worried she might lose it if she finds out."

"You're not looking for her?"

"Captured by the Order, who wants to kill Chloe if they can, and in terrible health- what do you think?"

Paul spoke up. "You're saying she's dead?"

"Most likely." A tear makes its way out of his eyes, following Amy's already pouring ones. My tears have already fallen. "Dry your eyes, hard as it may be. We don't want to upset Chloe."

"Is Alexzander in there?"

I shake my head. "Mai twins are sickly. He's in an incubator in Chloe's actual room. You can peek in on him later."

"Let me see my dear friend. Oh the poor thing!" She pushes past me, grief battling against the mask she's slowly forming.

It surprised us all, this grief, this pain caused by a child we saw for a few seconds and then lost. Sofie had registered on our retinas for less than five minutes before being whisked away, and yet we all felt like a piece of our soul had been ripped out. Amy and Paul hadn't ever seen her, and here they are bawling. It was a pain reserved for those we were closest to, the family, the friends we'd had for years, and yet here a tiny infant had inflicted this without her even knowing our names.

I try to shake off the pain, even shaking my head in desperation, and follow Amy. The usually bubbly girl is despondent as she nears the door, but quickly pops on a calculated, well-sculpted smile before entering.

We're greeting by a true, beaming smile, brought to us by the me who should be the least happy. She extended her arms, asking for a hug, and Amy complied. Paul followed quietly and stood a few steps behind his black-haired girlfriend. Amy begins to cry, losing her mask, and I prepare to intervene.

"What's wrong, Amy?" Chloe's pulled away from her and is searching her tear-blurred eyes for an answer.

"I'm just— just— just so happy," she manages to heave out, her body shaking with sobs. "I was so worried something'd go wrong."

_And it has. _But the thought is immediately pushed away. Strong. Strong for Chloe. Strong for Alek and Mother. Strong for Kayla and Paul, the doctors and nurses. Strong for everyone. _You've had your time to cry, now stand and make the best of the situation._

Chloe brings her friend into a tight hug, comforting her. "I'm perfectly fine. Didn't even lose a life. All healthy!"

"And I hear that you named the tyke 's very cute." Amy pulls away and wipes her eyes, letting out a laugh.

"It's for Alek. An Alek Jr., but not." She laughs with her, and I smile. She turns towards me. "Can I see him yet?"

"Well—"

"You haven't seen him yet?!" Amy sent me a glare, walking over and getting her face in mine. "Why hasn't this woman seen her own son? Huh?"

"Amy, Amy, please. It's fine! He wasn't well. Mai twins... well there aren't too many." Her brow creased. "Twins? Why'd I say that? hallucination when I was half-dead. I only had one child, my beautiful Alekzander. He's just small and weak."

"If you'll let us wheel you, you can see him." Marci is suddenly next to me, with a soft smile on her face.

"Oh, may I?" Chloe's eyes light with hope. And at Marci's nod, she all but rips the covers off of herself. Paul takes Amy's hand and leads her away from the bed and I remove my presence from the doorway.

A nurse rolls a wheelchair in, followed closely by Alek. He'd been with the baby, and I swear I heard him cooing and being mushy. Alek. Being mushy. Wow.

The new father helps Chloe up into a sitting position, then slowly picks her up. Gently, he places her in the wheelchair, kissing her carefully. Chloe, however, grabs his dirty blonde head and gives a full frontal assault. **(A/N: Chloe: *blushing* I did not! Alek: *smirk* Did too!)**

"Love you," she whispers, barely loud enough for me to overhear.

"I do too." Alek smiles his words, and an aura of gentle love and understanding radiates from the two. How adorable. My nose wrinkles in displeasure. I had almost forgotten how syrupy mates got after their children. Too syrupy.

Finally, the couple breaks apart, smiling.

"To Alekzander!" Chloe cries.

"To Alekzander," respond the rest of us. We can't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

_To Alekzander indeed._

**OoOoOoO**

***Simone***

"Are babies supposed to be that small?"

"No, ma'am. She's a Mai twin. They're usually very sickly."

"I see. What about you, Zane. When you came out where you a sick little boy?"

The teenager smiles, a not so pleasant sight with the wounds running across his face, curtesy of his scrape in the blasted San Fransisco pride penthouse. I don't let my disgust show. He used to be quite an attractive boy, after all, and his face might recover eventually. He nods. "That I was. But I'm fine and strong today, and so will she."

"What was her name?"

"Her mother named her Sofia."

"Wisdom. Huh." I mess with my hair making sure it's still out of my eyes. "An interesting choice."

"She named the boy after my brother." Zane sneers, a better look than his smile. The wounds just make him look vicious now. Beautiful. "Alekzander."

The way he spits the name out makes me smile. He treats the name like poison, a disease, a pest. Something to be despised and destroyed. Perfect.

I turn back to the incubator, staring at the small form inside. People dressed in hospital white flurry around, almost blending in with their equally white surroundings. This girl is the key to destroying that disgusting Uniter.

A grin falls into place. Her own daughter, turned against her. How lovely.

**OoOoOoO**

**A/N: Yes! Zane survived. And Sofie! I just felt like it was right :)**

**I had a realllllllllyyyyyyy hard time writing this chapter. Like, really. So hard, I went through a certain amount of ice cream tubs, an entire can of whipped cream, an amazing amount of hot fudge, and, um, still didn't even know who's POV to start with.**

**That was, um, a couple months ago, too. I even had my cousin text me every day to remind me to write. Um... It didn't work?**

**I think it's because my muse left. I didn't have an inspiration. No one called me to write, there was no one supporting me, or pushing me along. I don't know. I still don't really have an inspiration, and the characters just won't write themselves, but this was a combination of a little but every time even a spark flourished.**

**I hope y'all don't hate me.**

**I've not reviewed my abilities with keeping A&P in character, so I do believe they're quite a bit OOC. Oh well...**

**Your reviews will be a good temporary muse. No promises on the next update, but I promise It'll be within the next month.**


	23. Alekzander

TtCiTtW-23  
><strong><br>A/N:  
><strong>

**Thank You.**

**OoOoOoO**

***Jazzmatazz***

Chloe sits quietly after her announcement, waiting for the door leading to her baby to appear. There is a sense of barely contained excitement, and everyone smiles at the Mai in the wheelchair. They travel through the hallways towards Alekzander, a happy chatter filling up the passage. Chloe looks radiant, glowing as she and Alek gaze lovingly, engrossed in each other. I smile, enjoying the sight, even as a twinge of jealousy rushes through me. The instinctual need to have a mate, to be loved, to adore someone the way Chloe adored Alek, to be looked at the way he looked at her...

I shake my head. I'm too young! Even for the Mai, where the average mating age is 20, I feel I am far too young. Besides, after—I feel myself shiver unconsciously—_him,_ I need some time. A little voice in the back of my mind reminds me that it's been almost a year, but I push it away. 17 was too young. The thought of age brings up memories of Chloe's birthday, and the craziness the girl had brought with her age-turning.

Alek and Kayla had spent weeks tittering over different ideas and arrangements. Kayla had wanted a surprise party, but Alek had argued that a shock might not be good for the Mai's pregnant self. I had settled the argument with pointing out the fact that Chloe was confined to the apartment, making it impossible to even organize such an event. Then, the two had wanted to bring in Mai entertainers, and invite lots of important people. Mother had shot that one down with a scolding. How could they possibly bring in such people when the point of the birthday girl's seclusion was to hide her away from them? The two had grudgingly agreed that that would undermine their group's overall objective. But the resolution didn't last for long, the childhood friends going at the planning with increased fervor and imaginations. On one visit from Amy, the group had explored the idea of a mixed baby shower and birthday celebration, but Chloe herself had come in and told them to knock it off.

"Stop fussing so much! All I want is a cake, and my friends, and a quiet night," she had scolded. Alek and Kayla had quickly shuffled all of their complex plans off the table and into the trash, smiling innocently at the Uniter.

"Of course. What else would you have wanted?" She had eyed them suspiciously, before leaving to work in the Nursery. They had watched her go, waiting until she was out of earshot, before—

"What kind of cake should we get?" The discussions continued. Following different flavors of cake, types of frosting, decorations and presentation before I'd finally given up on them and left.

The day of her turning, Chloe and Alek did not appear from their room until after 11, waltzing into the living room with their arms wrapped around one another's waists, looking lovingly into each other's eyes. The two were met with a small smile, and a hearty "Happy Birthday," before a large feast was presented. No one had been able to decide on what to eat, so we'd ordered a bit of everything, from orange chicken, to pad thai, to macaroni and cheese, to sushi. It was a large collection of food and drinks, and somehow the eclectic mix made everything superbly delicious.

Chloe's face had started to glow as warm wishes were passed around, and little wrapped boxes appeared around her seat, colored paper and ribbon adding to the cheerfulness of the day.

Amy and Paul presented the blonde with children's clothing, most centered around cute kitten motifs, and with gender-neutral colors. One onesie, however, definitely from Paul, was designed to look like Superman's uniform, complete with detachable cape. Chloe had laughed and thanked them, handed the articles to Alek, who had folded them carefully, and hugged them. The couple smiled at their blonde friend, assuring her it was the least they could do. Alek's gift had come next, accompanied by a card that Chloe refused to let anyone see, and had made her blush. She'd allowed him to hug her as she opened the first, larger box, finding a new set of throwing knives, as well as a retractable staff. The second held a certificate for a month of a Mai night-nurse, and a small box from a jeweler. As she'd opened the velvet box, she began to cry, holding her hand over her mouth as Alek got down on one knee. He hadn't even been able to open his mouth before Chloe had wrapped her arms around him, saying, "Yes, yes, my sweet. Oh! You didn't even need to ask."

Amy had started to hyperventilate, ecstatic, and it was all Paul could do to keep her from squealing. Kayla'd clapped her hands happily, a grin wide on her face, while I'd looked lovingly at my two best friends, happy in their joy, as they shared a passionate kiss. After the excitement had finally faded, Kayla presented her gift of maternity clothes, and a set of binkies to the blonde Mai, muttering that nothing could ever stand up to a gift such as Alek's.

"Happy Seventeenth Birthday," Valentina had said, handing the two a small box, wrapped in nondescript blue paper. "From Jasmine and me. This is for the both of you, for after the little one comes. It seems very appropriate with today's turn of events." Chloe, leaning on Alek's shoulder with a happy smile, had allowed her fiance to open the box. His skilled fingers, lithe from years of training, quickly removed the paper to reveal a plain gray box. He glanced inside, before quickly shutting it, mouth dropping in shock. Chloe startled.

"What? What is it?"

"This is too much, Aunt Val," Alek breathed. "This is too much." Valentina had just smiled, and I'd hid a grin.

"The pride is more than happy to put forward such an offer." When Alek had once again opened his mouth to argue, she'd put a finger over his mouth. "Prides all over the world pitched in. They want to see you two happy." It'd seemed to pacify him, and he'd reopened the box and shown a confused, but eager Chloe. Her mouth had dropped as well, shocked at what she found.

"A house? For us?" She'd whispered. Mother had nodded, and the girl had engulfed her in a tight hug, almost crying into her shoulder. "First Alek's proposal, now this. It must be the best birthday a girl could ask for!"

"What's that?" Amy had snatched the box, pulling out a business card for a Real Estate company. In flowing green writing, Valentina had written the message, _This one's on Us. _She put the card down. "You're really getting a house for your birthday. Paul, why didn't your aunt give us a house for _my _birthday?"

"We're neither expecting or engaged," he'd quickly responded, almost paling as his girlfriend narrowed her eyes in his face. "Also, we're just the sidekicks. Only the heroes get the big perks."

"I should change that."

"Change what now?" Paul had stood, and retreated behind his chair. A mischievous light had fallen into Amy's eyes. "You don't mean the expecting or engaged."

"And if I did?" _Swallow. _She'd smiled, pulling back. "This is why I love you. Chloe, what kind of —"

She'd stopped as she realized the rosy-blonde was distracted. Alek was playing with the ring around his fiance's fourth finger, stroking it and the back of her hand with his thumb as the two nuzzled noses; Mother had served cake and ice cream, and was walking out of the room, a smile sneaking off her face. Paul and Amy had quickly become distracted by the dessert, managing to make their way out of the room with Kayla when she complained she needed someone to put _Super Bagel Man _on for her. I'd been the last one out of the room, sneaking out the side hallway as little bits of sappy sentences started sailing between them, their eyes dancing and cheeks flushing in their love.

A loud laugh brings me back to the present. Alek has seemingly whispered something to Chloe and they're enjoying whatever the punchline was. Another smile graces my lips. It's good to see her laughing. Amy quickens her pace and I find her next to me, tapping my shoulder in her little way. I give her an answering look, questioning her actions. She tilts her head, and bites her lip, as if unsure of what to say, quickly glancing towards Chloe's chair ahead of us. I immediately understand. She's wondering if her best friend will be okay holding Alekzander. To be honest, the same question is beginning to bug me too. Would the touch of one of her children bring echoes of memories of her other? Chloe was technically dead when Sofia had been delivered, and though she'd been returned to us without loss of one of her lives, the damage of that time must still be there. A mother doesn't so easily forget, does she? Doubt digs it's class deeper. If Chloe really did have more than just hazy half-memories inside her then Alekzander could spark something terrifying for the lot of them. Amy is still eying me with her question and I can only grimace in my uncertainty back. She frowns, but I get the feeling she understands why we really have no idea. This meeting with the newest member of our pride could lead either to our greatest hope's healing or destruction, just by the sight of his face. All our hopes, pinned on one small infant.

The door of the nursery finally comes up before us, the short walk through the halls having seemingly lengthened to an hour in the tension and excitement of the situation. Alek, releasing the wheelchair in a gentle stop, knocks on the wood quietly, asking the nurse inside for permission to enter. We wait in palatable silence for the answer, and when the nurse pokes his head out and gives a welcoming smile, I can't help but release the breath I hadn't know I was holding. Why I'd feared just that moment so much is a mystery to me, but the next breath-catching seems all too logical. The nurse, Phil if I remember correctly, opens the door fully for us, allowing Chloe to enter and see her child, sleeping quietly in an incubator.

Hands fly to cover her mouth as Chloe begins to cry. Nerves on edge, I try to figure out exactly why. Was she happy? Upset? Did she remember? Phil moves to the child, lifting him carefully before expertly swaddling the tiny babe and turning to the wheelchair, fully revealing Alekzander.

For such a small child, Alek Jr. has a lot of hair, a dirty blonde that accents his pale skin tone. He has his father's nose, his mother's mouth, and two tiny, adorable ears that stick out to frame his small face. His eyes are closed, so I can't see who they take after, but his eyes would make any girl jealous, long and dark and gently curled. They shift against his cheeks as Chloe takes him into her arms, as if sensing his mother's touch. The way she looked at him could only be described as try adoratio. Her eyes had softened, and an easy smile lay on her face. Big Alek had moved a hand to her shoulder, but Chloe could only focus on Jr., her fingers weaving through his hair, gently letting her new son know she was there, she cared, that he was perfect. She stops playing with his hair and gently traces his chin, then nose, and smiles as he blinks open his eyes, wide brown orbs that sparkled like sri lanka zircon, with a mix of so many caramels and chocolates that you could get lost. Beautiful eyes, beautiful baby.

Amy grabs my arm as she see's the boys eyes, almost jumping in excitement and happiness, and I return her a smile. It is a lovely sight, the three of them. Inside, my smile fades as I picture Sofia with them, in her father's arms, even though I keep it steady for everyone else. It's a gentle though sad blessing that Chloe has no recollection of the fourth member of their family. Alek's eyes are pained as he looks at Jr., as if even all the happiness he felt couldn't heal the still gaping hole in his heart, a hole that for once his mate couldn't help him with. He would have to move forward and support them all, and I would help him with the hurts Chloe couldn't, and shouldn't. The loss of Sofie would weigh on us for a long time, yes, but the blessing of Jr would allow us to move forward, towards what we can only hope is a brighter happier future.

**OoOoOoO**

***Simone***

The small form behind the glass looks at me with wide eyes, so trusting, so young. She must have no idea what's happened. Zane seems entranced by her, as if suddenly she was his own sister, or child even. The similarities are astonishing, after all. The flick of hair that graces her head curls a delicate brown, and their noses are perfectly the same. A family nose, it seems. She inherited her mother's mouth and ears, though, and her eyes had been lightened by the mix of genes, now a caramelish chocolate, like crystal come alive.

"You seem oddly fascinated in your brother's child." He scowls again, accentuating the scars that mar his face, and pulls away from the incubator.

"She'll never know, though," He justifies. "She'll just think I am her brother. Besides, she will kill the bastard, so it is forgivable."

"Is it now?"

"Very. For what he's done, I am willing to use any means against him. His own child is especially sweet." I smile at his reply. We'd done nicely with him, molding the Mai into a valuable tool for our own means. Though it is unfortunate his pretty faced is now so marked, his skill and usefulness was still boundless, and his connection to the Uniter's family was priceless.

"Well, soon we will be able to begin, won't we."

"Indeed."

**OoOoOoo**

***Alek***

Jr. looks just like his mother, just with my nose. It's a good combination, in my opinion, seeing as she's the most beautiful person I've ever met. In the two weeks since his birth, Jr. has fattened up significantly, and his cheeks glow with a rosy dusting, chubby in his babyhood. His hair has grown some, and now curls lightly at the edges, visions of Chloe's own soft curls.

At first, I'd been unsure how to approach the child, especially as we were not allowed to hold him for more than a few minutes at first. Slowly, the time had extended, and now the incubator had been removed, and replaced with the white cradle Chloe had picked out. Though, actually, Jr. sleeps with us in our room, in his bassinet or swaddled in our warmth. Well, my warmth. Chloe is absolutely incapable of producing her own body heat, never has, and she still relies on me to defrost the icicles she called feet. SOmetimes Chloe calls me the family stove, the bed heater, the man-blanket, but she's the ice queen, or maybe mama icicle. EIther way, no body heat on that side of our equation.

But what she doesn't put out in heat, she gives in love. Jr. is never alone nowadays, always being coddled or whispered to. He has to be the happiest, most loved baby in the whole city. Two week had Jr. focusing his eyes, and grabbing at fingers, mewling when hungry and never sleeping. Ever. He wakes hourly in his bassinet to cry and mewl for a bit, for food, for nappy, for love. Most of the time when the night nurse in on duty, she will sneak in and take care of it, sometimes taking him out to the nursery to change or rock him, but on her days off Chloe usually brings him into our bed to lie between us. It works so well that sometimes Jr. never graces the bassinet with his presence. Luckily, little though he is, he inherited my genes heat-wise—no icicle feet!

But now, as both he and his mother nap in the rocker, I can't help but smile. Chloe hold Jr. loosely, and he leans against her, swaddled gently in a cornflower blue blanket. As I approach, he blinks awake and opens his mouth to cry, and i quickly snatch him up and bob him, trying to calm him before he wakes Chloe. But it seems my plan is flawed as the absence of his weight causes her to stir. Thinking quickly, I grab the teddy bear the NY pride leader grave us, wrap it in the blanket its sitting on, and slide it in her arms. She quiets and resumes her well-earned rest, while Jr. looks up to me with his wide brown eyes. Not for the first time, I wonder if Sofia had had the same eyes. Maybe they'd been these caramel gems or maybe sapphires liker her mother. Had she had my nose? The family nose is a very strong set of genes. My smile turns sad at the thought.

I bring Jr. into the family room, settling him on Kayla's lap as she watches her precious Super Bagel Man. She gently wraps her arms around him and they watch together, entranced by the images. Since her shocking premonition and the events that followed, Kayla'd been feeling extremely guilty about Sofia, though Jaz and I assure her she'd nowhere near at fault. She had little idea in her trance state, and we'd not stopped and taken note for thought—if anything it was our fault. But she'd just smile and dote on Jr.; he would be her retribution, her way out of the guilt and grief.

While Jr. and Kayla watch the animated foods go about their business, I pull up a chair next to Jaz, who'd taken my chair when I'd left to check on Chloe. She's going through my tabs, looking at what I have open.

"This has security issues." She's pointing at the apartment I had open, a little two-story in part of old town. "And it's much too small."

"It fits our list, and 'small' is not a word I would use to describe it. Besides, I think its cute." I hadn't gone through security measures yet. Just basics and needs through various searches, trying to find ideas and listing that fit the bill. "We don't need anything special, anyway." I Try to take the laptop back, but she swats my hand and scoots farther away, opening a new window before turning the screen and typing furiously.

"Bastet ya don't. You're a growing family Alek, a growing _Mai _family, and the _Uniter's_ growing family to boot. You need something safe and livable. That," she minimizes her window and turns the computer to show the little apartment and its cute shutters again. "Is not save or livable."

I sigh as she turns the screen back and types anew. "Well, she wants something with character."

"Got that, Alek. Your tabs are still open, and you actually were smart and wrote it all down." She's stopped typing and is just clicking now, flicking her eyes over what must be house descriptions. "Really, you should be looking at something like this."

The listing her shows me fits all of the parameters—side street, decent schools, away from Market while still close to the penthouse, at least three bedrooms, two and a half baths (an easy parameter to budge on; San Francisco is a hard city to buy in), except it's huge—and expensive. "Jaz no, this is huge, and so pricey. We don't—"

"Too bad, Alek. Mum likes this one too."

"You're deciding _our _house?"

"Well, Chloe found it. We just convinced her it was alright."

"Chloe told me to look at houses."

"To keep you busy, C.B." Kayla's joined the conversation now.

"C.B.?"

"Cocky Bastard. Chloe's favorite nickname for you."

"She doesn't—Wait. _What?_ Keep me busy?"

"Until escrow is through." She looked at her watch. "In about half an hour?"

"Half an—" Jaz shoves something in my mouth. It's cold, sweet... ice cream. Sighing around the dessert, I take hold of the spoon and take it out of my mouth. "I suppose it's what Chloe wants... But the price?"

"Less than what we were expecting for such a suitable place. Besides, we'll be visiting often enough."

I shake my head and look at the listing again. It's marked as sold—a detail I should probably have noticed first—but the price still shouts its large numbers. They continue, listing five bedrooms, six baths, 6,000 square feet, a mansion by Francisco standards. Too big. But the last thing catches my eye. A yard. That's probably what finally sold her to Aunt Val's convincing. We didn't need something like this, but the house is literally perfect. I look at the clock on the mantle.

"Half an hour, you said? Better wake up Chloe then."

Jaz smiles, victorious.

**OoOoOoO**

**See you soon, with promises. The next chapter is already written.**


End file.
